Mako Mermaids: Deep Blue
by MermaidButterflies
Summary: EWWW FACTOR! ABANDONED FOR A REASON READ AT OWN RISK! DONT CHECK IF YOU DONT WANT NIGHTMARES. After the Trident Stone was destroyed, life was expected to carry on peacefully, but unexpected turns will get in the way. (Strong language and mature content.) Disclaimer: Rita and Dr. Mitch Ross are shipped extensively.
Dear Reader/s,

A request given by one of you suggested that I put my crazy, hectic collection of snippets together. I finally got fed up with the war between summer laziness and my motivation to do random shit at the most awkward time span of 2-4am. I kept putting "fix fanfic" on every to do list of each day since the day I stopped getting homework. If you're a new reader, GOOD FREAKIN' LUCK. Before Season 3 of Mako RUINED ALL of my hopes of the love story between Ross and Rita, I wrote this fanfic of them having the last shot at having kids and getting married. I did so much goddamn research at 6am before school about "what are the odds of a 44 year old having children in one go?" (No, I didn't actually Google that, but I researched everything about Rita and Kerith) I hope this story haunts your subconscious so I can get talk about it and how it's the weird side of the internet. (I'm just the border of the "weird side" you've probably seen my profile on the MM Instagram Fandom.) ROSSSITAAAA! (Yeah, you know me.) OK, HOLY SHIT, I should just shut the fuck up and do an author's note.

BUHAHAAAH enjoy :)

Original Version (4am winter break writes):

Rita and Dr. Mitch Ross. The school is staring at her... Waking up in his bed hungover… Mermaid, merman, or human? This is a story you don't want to miss. (Rated M, strong language and mature content).

This is a story about Rita and Mitch. I totally shipped it, sadly it was short-lived. (Harry is Rita's long-dead fiance {refresher} and I found Mitch's name in H20 on his name tag) Okay, Enjoy! :)

 **CHAPTER 1**

It's been a month since the pod has come back, I'm glad that the girls can see everyone again. I'm proud of them for trying so hard to bring them back. The Mermaid Council has allowed me to return, but I turned the offer down. My life is on land now, besides I have been on a few dates with Mitch. He is so sweet, but I'm still embarrassed by what I did while I was under the girls' potion, that was basically my first impression. I don't remember but they told me that I acted like a ten year old, I must have been ridiculous. I think we both are interested in each other, but I feel awkward when I'm around him. He makes me feel like when Harry was around. I don't think I'll tell Mitch about Harry, it's just very awkward. I think I'll keep it until the time is right, I _do_ want to be with him.

All I can think of was last night. Mitch called me on the phone, he asked me if I wanted to go to dinner in the evening with him in the city. I couldn't turn him down at all, I love seeing him. I know that if I go I could risk getting wet but I've had a lot of experience, what could go wrong. I walked into the Grotto and I was greeted by the girls making something with a few crushed shells on my spell table.

"Good morning, girls! Looks like you have been busy, what are you making?" I asked Mimmi and Sirena.

"We're experimenting based on some potion recipes with some things we found on the reef last week." Sirena answered. She broke a small piece of coral in half and placed it in a bowl.

"I'm going for a swim, it's still early morning, I have time." I told them, I smiled. They looked at each other in confusion, they started to giggled.

"You're in a good mood. Are you going on a date with Dr. Ross?" Mimmi asked.

"What's wrong with that? Well... he did ask me to dinner." I looked down at my hands blushing.

"Actually, Rita, that's good!" Don't worry we'll clean up when we're done. Now go have fun." Sirena smiled at me. "Oh, and by the way, Ondina is at the Moon Pool, she decided to sleep in."

"Ok, then I'll avoid her while she's grumpy." I headed up the steps to the tunnel entrance. "Bye, girls."

"Bye, Rita!" Sirena and Mimmi said. Then they went back to what they were doing.

I walked up to the pool, took off my shoes, and dipped my legs in. It felt good to get out of legs, so I swam out onto the reef. I started to think about what I would wear tonight. Then, I remembered the first time Mitch asked me to do something with him. It was the day Mimmi came to the Marine Park with me. When we were walking to fill out some paperwork for the elective class, he asked me if I wanted to go to lunch with him so that we could get to know each other better. I let my guard down and agreed faster than I could think of what possibilities may happen. I felt excited when he asked me. We stared at each other and kept smiling, it was so uncomfortable. From that moment, I knew that I liked Mitch.

I came back from my swim into the entrance. I pulled myself out of the water and dried my tail off. I got up from the ground and went back into the Grotto to get my work bag. It was behind the spell table, I assumed that the girls weren't done with their potion and went to gather more ingredients. I was trying to be smart about avoiding the mixture from being messed up so I bent under the table to grab my bag. I pulled the handles of the bag, but I hit my head on the table. I hoped that nothing happened, but I was wrong, the glass bottle with purple liquid tipped over and started to drip on my arm. I quickly stood back up and put the bottle back where it was. I saw the purple liquid on my arm, so I tried to rub it off as much as I could. I hoped that nothing bad would happen to me. I slung my bag onto my arm and rushed out of the Grotto to work. I started to wonder why it didn't make me fall into my tail. That worried me into thinking that something happened when it dripped on me. I wished that it wouldn't effect my date.

 **CHAPTER 2**

I was walking to my office, when Tina walked down the hall. Tina was amazing in her interview, I could tell she wanted this job very much. She professionally dressed up each day, pulling her hair into a ponytail, and completing her confident look with faux diamond covered, black flats.

"Good Morning, Principal Santos," She brushed her brown, wavy bangs out of her face. I could tell she was a little nervous. She was holding a clipboard and a pen.

"Good Morning, Miss Bailey," I replied.

"Um... I wondering... uh, the swim team would like... if you could coach for today's practice," She stuttered. "if that's ok with you."

"Miss Bailey, I'm sorry but I'm a little busy today, maybe I can help another time?" I gave her a disappointed look.

"I thought it would come to this," I heard Tina mumble under her breath. I unlocked my door and look at her confused.

"the swim team actually has no choice on a substitute today while Coach Norris is sick." She continued.

"Can the team call in a staff member by the end of the day?" I asked, hoping that I could get around the situation.

"All the available substitutes are needed in different classes and I am tutoring students in math classes." She explained, I knew I had no other choice but have to go near that pool today.

"Ok, Miss Bailey, I'll fill in for Mr. Norris." I smiled at her. I silently sighed, this spelled trouble.

"Oh! Thank you, Principal Santos. I will tell the swim team." She nodded. I walked into my office and sorted the new papers on my desk. Today was going to be long.

I had just finished up a parent conference five minutes before the last bell of the day rang. I knew I had twenty minutes before I had to go to the swim practice. I had a feeling that I was going to have some sort of trouble during all of it. I put some paperwork into my bag and walked out of my office. I turned around and put the keys into the lock but I stopped. I let go of the keys and stepped back from the door, I felt my back hit the wall behind me. I stared at the keys as they swayed. I felt weak and tired, so I started to slide down the wall onto my knees. I kept staring at the keys as they moved slower and slower. I sat down and I tilted my head, my eyes felt no urge to stay open. I started to feel powerless over motion, then I fell into a paralyzed sleep.

I opened my eyes, it felt like I must have been unconscious for eternity. I was sitting down with my back against the wall and my legs straight out and on top of each other in front of me. I realized that I felt energized and fully awake. I got up still unstable but functional. I locked the office door and grabbed my bag off of the floor. I thought I would be late for the practice so I looked at my watch. I must've wasted at least ten to fifteen minutes asleep. Strangely, I still had nineteen minutes to get ready for it. I was scared by the thought of why I passed out on the floor in front of my office. I couldn't place my mind on why for some reason, I knew that I had a possible reason but I couldn't remember it. I decided to resolve the issue after the swim practice, so I cleared my mind and focused on my main priority. I walked down the office hall and out to the courtyard halls. I saw Mrs. Trumble and I didn't want to deal with her so I pulled out a binder in my bag and buried my face in it. I hoped that she would pass by without acknowledging me, but of course I was wrong and she stopped.

"Principal Santos." She gave me a fake smile. I rolled my eyes and closed the binder in my hands.

"Hello, Mrs. Trumble." I looked at her and gave her a fake grin in exchange. When she looked at me, her face looked as if she had just seen a ghost. Her stiff posture dropped and she backed away from me slowly.

"Mrs. Trumble, you were saying," I tried to catch her eye and I looked at her like she was going crazy.

"Principal Santos, I don't know what kind of formula you have used but you are looking very different." She kept looking at me in disbelief. "Were you using any sort of rejuvenating face cream or treatment something over the break?"

"Are you joking with me?" I looked at her, shaking me head.

"No, actually, I am so sorry for all the times I had be extremely rude to you." Mrs. Trumble was starting to spook me. "What's your secret?" She asked me as she observed my face. I kept shaking me head, all I could think was that she was kidding.

"Mrs. Trumble, if you have nothing important to discuss, will you excuse me." I walked around her. I had no idea what she was talking about, but the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to see my face. I looked behind me and she was still standing there, looking puzzled. That scared me so I rushed to the swimming pool. I hoped that there would be some kind of glass so I could see my reflection. I decided that I would try to find a mirror or glass along the way, but I kept being crowded by students. I looked at my watch, I only had six minutes to get there. I somehow manage to get myself on the other side of the school. I couldn't run in these shoes so I pulled off my heels and ran across campus, I had no idea why I took off my shoes because I could have stepped in water. Also, I thought it was odd that I didn't care what anyone thought of me running barefoot. I had a familiar moment when I was younger, I remember running away from Harry without saying goodbye on one of our dates. I took off my high heels and ran to the beach, I knew that I had very little time to get back to Mako Island before the pod would find out that I had been gone. I felt as if this was usual for me to run, but I was in a time crunch and I had to be at that practice.

 **CHAPTER 3**

I made it to the swimming pool just as the team was getting ready. The team looked at me as I slipped my heels back on. They all gave me the same puzzled face, just as Mrs. Trumble did. The pressure of staring eyes got to me, and I cracked. I walked up to Thomas Dimhaul.

"Thomas, why is everyone staring at my face, what's wrong with it?" I asked calmly. Thomas looked scared to answer me. I probably wasn't going to get a straight answer.

"No, nothing... Ms. Santos. You...you look ok." He stuttered. I let out a frustrated sigh. I asked him a simple question and I got a useless answer that didn't even make sense.

"Thank you, Thomas." I blew steam from my nose in frustration, I smiled at him and walked away. I reached in my bag for my whistle and I sat it on the bench.

"Good Afternoon, Miss Bailey most likely informed you that I would be filling in for Mr. Norris. So, I am going to start you off with a small exercise." I raised my voice. I noticed that some of them were whispering, I was starting to get annoyed by how awkward this all was. "Let's start by doing laps ." I blew the whistle and set the timer. I couldn't wait until this was all over, I needed to see my face.

After an hour of swimming practice, I blew the whistle, I felt relieved that nothing wrong happened.

"Ok, good work everybody! You will be seeing Coach Norris tomorrow." I decided to be patient and wait until everyone was gone. I walked to the bench and picked up my bag. I turned around and I saw Thomas rapped up in a towel, he started to walk towards me.

"Principal Santos, um... would I get in trouble if I told you honestly. It's about... about your face." He looked at me nervously.

"No, Thomas. It would really be helpful though." I told him. I smiled, I finally could get an answer.

"You look younger and like someone at this school, like a student or something. It's really creepy, like you're in old people clothes but you look too young." He stared at my clothes and scratched his head.

"Oh... thank you, Thomas." * _Really. (T_T)_ * I disappointedly look at him and gestured for him to go back inside. I forgot about the water situation very quickly, I had to see my face now. I picked up my pace alongside the pool but in the corner of my eye I could see the puddles of water glistening on the edge. I was glad that I wasn't stepping on them. Just as I thought about it, my heel slipped, I tried to keep my balance but it was too late, I slide across the ground. I threw my bag and it fell onto ledge, I fell into the pool. My ignorance got the best of me, I transformed into my tail ten seconds after hitting the water. I swam back up to the surface and looked around. I didn't see anyone around so I swam back down into the water. I sat at the bottom of the pool and let my mind process all the things that happened. I sat there for a while until I realized that this was nothing and I have been through worse than this so I swam up to the pool ledge. I threw myself onto the side and I dried my tail off. All of this must have taken ten minutes of my time. I stood up, but I felt a sudden urge to cry. I was getting confused by all these emotions, so I grabbed my bag off of the floor and _walked_ to the nearest staff's bathroom. I saw a sign on the door that said, " _closed for repair."_ "This day just got utterly horrible!" I mumbled to myself.I threw my arms up in frustration and ran up to an awards shelf.

"Finally!" I looked at my face in the reflection. _My eyes, my lips, my nose, my cheeks._ All my wrinkles near my eyes and forehead were gone, all my indents in my neck and cheeks have seemed to disappear. How could I not notice my hands?! They were smooth and perfect. I looked like I was in my late twenties. I was so disturbed by my appearance that I screamed. I kept touching my face and wondering if I really was dreaming all of it. I turned around and was faced by the astronomy club, they jump back from me and rushed down the hall. I was so scared about this but still so fascinated by my sudden age phenomenon. I excitedly rushed back home

Second Version:

Chapter 1

It's been a year since the pod has come back, I'm glad that the girls can see everyone again. I'm proud of them for trying so hard to bring them back. The Mermaid Council has allowed me to return, but I turned the offer down. My life is on land now, besides I've been with Mitch, the sweetest boyfriend I could ever have. I remember when we first met, we were suppose to be professional about our meeting to discuss the marine biology elective but I couldn't help but blush and stare at him. We couldn't stop smiling at each other, we both felt this _spark._ You know that kind of spark between two people when they first lay eyes on each other and you feel this connection even though you haven't spoken a word to them yet? A spark that you can't actually describe but you know what it feels like. I see him all the time and we date but I still feel awkward around him since I haven't told him about Harry or that I'm a fish.

It's our one year anniversary and Mitch called me last night. He made reservations at a restaurant in the city, I couldn't wait. I walked down into the Grotto and was greeted by the girls making something with a few crushed shells on my spell table.

"Good morning, girls! Looks like you've been busy, what are you making?" I asked Mimmi and Sirena.

"We're experimenting based on some potion recipes with some things we found on the reef last week." Sirena answered. She broke a small piece of coral in half and placed it in a wooden bowl.

"I'm going for a swim, it's still early morning and I have time." I told them, I smiled. They looked at each other in confusion, they started to giggled.

"You're in a good mood. Are you going on a date with Dr. Ross again?" Mimmi asked.

"Not just a date, but our one year anniversary." I looked down at my hands blushing.

"Really? Time really does fly on land just as sea. Don't worry we'll clean up when we're done. Now go have fun!" Sirena smiled at me. "Oh, and by the way, Ondina is out on the reef hanging out with her old friends in the pod."

"Well, she does have a lot of catching up to do." I joked, I headed up the steps to the tunnel entrance. "Bye, girls."

"Bye, Rita!" Sirena and Mimmi said. Then they went back to making their potion.

I walked up to the pool, took off my shoes, and dipped my legs in. It felt relieving to get out of them and I swam out onto the reef. I started to think about what I would wear that night. Then, I remembered the first time Mitch asked me to do something with him.

It was early morning and Mitch was still 'Dr. Ross' to me. We were in my office signing papers for the elective.

"Ms. Santos, I wanted to bring up a question for a while," Dr. Ross started.

"The elective class is going to be a success, thank you for doing this, Dr. Ross." I un-intentionally avoided what he was going to say. He grinned, trying to hint me of his question."Oh! Oh... what was it that you wanted to ask me?" I asked. I looked down at the papers and back up at him.

"Yes, but I wanted to ask you if you would like to discuss things over lunch." He nervously smiled.

"About the elective?" I asked, unaware that I was being ignorant about the conclusion that he liked me.

"Yeah, about that," He paused. "I want to get to know you better, and not just about the elective." He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Are- are you asking me... on a date?" I questioned, I suddenly felt myself blush.

"Yes, if you're interested." He blushed intensively.

"Oh, I'd love to go!" I blurted out, I looked down stunned at the sudden reaction.

"I'm Mitch, by the way."

"Call me Rita."

I felt excited when he asked me, I forgot about my distant profile that I wanted to maintain, but I couldn't help it. We stared at each other and kept smiling, it was remarkably uncomfortable. From that moment, I knew I couldn't resist him even if I tried.

I came back from my swim into the entrance. I pulled myself out of the water and dried my tail off. I got up from the ground and went back into the Grotto to get my work bag. It was behind the spell table, I assumed that the girls weren't done with their potion and went to gather more ingredients. I was trying to be clever about avoiding the mixture from being messed up so I bent under the table to grab my bag. I pulled the handles of the bag but I hit my head on the table. I hoped that nothing happened, but I was wrong. The purple liquid filled, glass bottle on the table surface tipped over and started to drip on my arm. I quickly stood back up and put the bottle back where it was. I saw the purple mixture on my arm, so I tried to rub it off as much as I could. I assumed that nothing bad would happen to me. I slung my bag onto my arm and rushed out of the Grotto to work. I started to wonder why it didn't make me transform into my tail. That worried me into thinking that something happened when it dripped on me. I hoped that it wouldn't effect my date.

* * *

Chapter 2

I saw Tina scrambling across the hall as I was walking to my office. Tina was amazing in her interview, I could tell she wanted this job very much. She professionally dressed up each day, pulling her hair back, and completing her confident look with black, faux diamond covered flats.

"Good Morning, Principal Santos," She brushed her brown, wavy bangs out of her face. I could tell she was a little nervous. She was holding a clipboard and a pen.

"Good Morning, Miss Bailey," I replied.

"Um... I wondering... uh, the science class in block six actually needs a substitute... maybe, you could fill in just for one class?" She stuttered. "If that's okay with you."

"Miss Bailey, I'm sorry but I'm a little busy today," I gave her a disappointed look. "but I can next time."

"I thought it would come to this," I heard Tina mumble under her breath. I unlocked my door and turned to look at her.

"The science department doesn't have any other choice since Mrs. Baker left sick with a horrible cold." She continued. "They only need you for the third class since the substitute has a meeting to go to before third period."

"Can the department call in a staff member at break?" I asked, hoping that I could get around the situation. I didn't know why I wanted to not teach, I usually loved to see students get involved in their education. If it involved a large amount of water, I would have tried to avoid it, but this was nothing compared to that.

"There are no available substitutes at such short notice and I'm teaching my first marine biology class today." She explained, I knew I had no other choice but have to go.

"Okay, Miss Bailey, I'll fill in for Mrs. Baker." I smiled at her. I sighed, I didn't know the cause of this rebellion feel.

"Oh! Thank you, Principal Santos. I will tell the science department." She nodded.

I had just finished up a parent conference five minutes before the last bell of first period rang. I started to feel a slight headache, but I ignored it the best I could. As if by instinct, I had a feeling that I was going to have some sort of trouble during that class. I put some paperwork into my bag and walked out of my office. I turned around and put the keys into the lock but I stopped. I let go of the keys and stepped back from the door, I felt my back hit the wall behind me. I stared at the keys as they swayed. I felt weak and tired, so I started to slide down the wall onto my knees. I kept staring at the keys as they moved slower and slower. I sat down and I tilted my head, my eyes felt no urge to stay open. I started to feel powerless over motion, then I fell into a paralyzed sleep.

I opened my eyes, it felt like I must have been unconscious for eternity. I was sitting down with my back against the wall and my legs straight out and on top of each other in front of me. I realized that I felt energized and fully awake. I got up still unstable but functional, I pulled the keys out of the door lock and grabbed my bag off of the floor. I thought I would be late for second period so I looked at my watch. I must've wasted at least ten to fifteen minutes asleep, strangely, I had only wasted two minutes. I was scared by the thought of why I passed out on the floor in front of my office. I didn't know if it was mermaid-related or not. I decided to resume on the issue after I finished up my main task on hand. I walked down the hall and noticed that the pool wasn't being used. I felt an urge to swim, I looked around, no one was really paying attention to me so I snuck through the staff-only halls.

I made it to the pool area, I placed my bag under the bleachers and pulled out all of the clips in my hair. I threw them into the bag and shook my head to let my wavy curls fall onto my shoulders. I took off my heels and sat them out of sight next to my bag. I dived into the pool, embracing the cool water hitting my skin. My legs fused together into my tail. I swam to the surface and floated on my back. I stared at the cloud-filled, blue sky, and swayed my arms through the water. I had no idea why I wanted to go for a swim, I didn't care about the risks. I didn't care about where I was swimming. Sure, I maybe had a few small responsibilities throughout second period but I could handle it after school. I closed my eyes until I heard footsteps, I opened my eyes and swam down to the bottom of the pool.

"Here, we have the swimming pool area. This is where the school swim team practices each day." I heard a man say. I hid myself and peeked my eyes through the water. I watched as he guided young, incoming students.

"Mr. Davin, where can we sign up for clubs?" A student asked.

"Good question, Henry. We will discuss that on our way to the club signing area." Mr. Davin replied. I held my breathe and patiently waited for the tour group to leave. I watched as the students followed Mr. Davin outside of the pool area. I was about to climb out until I saw four kids still hanging around the gate. They broke away from the tour group and were chatting. They looked like trouble, one of the kids pointed at the pool and they started to take off their jackets. _Oh_ _no_ _you_ _don't_. I pulled myself up on the ledge and stuck out my hand, still hidden from plain sight. They started to walk towards the pool, I froze the floor as they stepped across the ground. The group stopped and looked around their feet. It was so unnatural that there was ice forming in seventy-seven degree weather.

"Ah! Guys, we have to go, this is weird!" One of the boys with blue streaks in his hair, shrieked looking down.

"Go! Go! Go, before we get in trouble!" The girl in the group threw the leather jackets at the boys.

They all ran outside of the pool gate and I giggled at their faces. I pulled myself out of the pool and dried myself off. I had no idea why I went to the pool. I pondered on my motivation to being unusually ridiculous. _What kind of principal takes a dip into the school swimming pool at second period?_ I picked up my things and straightened out my shirt and dress pants. I rushed to the science classrooms and found the room I was looking for. I waited in the corner, humming a song I learned long ago with the pod. I pulled out the binder in my bag and flipped through the pages. No one seemed to be around so I started to sing quietly as I read the schedule.

 _Crystal clear of ocean waves_

 _Float into our beautiful home of caves_

 _Swim to the deepest blue_

 _Find worlds that you never knew_

 _Watch the stars shine bright_

 _Over the world through the night_

 _Mermaids of our pod-_

"Singing, Ms. Santos," A voice rang out. _Oh, god!_ I jumped and closed the binder. _She heard me singing._ "Isn't going to do anything for this school right now." My long-despised enemy gave me her usual Cheshire Cat-like smile.  
"Mrs. Trumble," I acknowledged her unneeded and unwanted presence. I kept my head low underneath a large wavy lock of my hair. I _was_ relieved that I hadn't come across her all week, my spirits dropped significantly.

"I _still_ am considering grabbing the school board's attention over any foul mistake that can be marked up." She deviously shot at me. I looked up at her, hoping that I would cleverly come up with a smart comeback as soon as I met her eyes with mine. Instead, I met her eyes and she backed away from me.

"Mrs. Trumble, why are you doing that?" I paused. "Do I have something on my face?" I confusedly asked her.

"You-you…Somehow, you-you look _different._ " She stuttered, she studied my face as I raised an eyebrow at her unusual behavior.

"Mrs. Trumble, what? What are you talking about?" I shook my head.

"It's a good different. You must have used something, what kind of face cream did you use?" She asked, as if she was an old friend. "But, if your intentions were to scare me with your eye contacts, it didn't work." Her tone fell.

"What?" I shook my head. "Mrs. Trumble, if you have nothing important, will you excuse me. I have a class to substitute in matter of minutes." I sternly said.

"Fine, but next time I won't let things like this slide, Ms. Santos. I will find out what you're hiding." She walked away in defeat. I rolled my eyes I knew I could handle 'The Mad Trumble,' that made the earth quake under her feet, she wasn't exactly a major threat. I put my binder in my bag and turned around.

* * *

Chapter 3

The bell rang and students walked out of the room. I stepped inside and greeted the substitute that had to leave. He told me that the binder of sub notes are on the desk. I thanked him before he left for his meeting. I opened the binder, not much was in it except for the lesson plan. _I can handle one class. Oh crap, I forgot my tea._ I disappointedly pursed my lips together, I waited through the ten minute break emailing notifications about meetings with the staff on my laptop. I looked up when I saw students walking in as the bell began to ring. I closed my computer, stood up, and faced the board. I wrote the lesson plan down in whiteboard marker.

"Okay, class, I am going to be substituting today." I announced. I turned to face the students with a sweet smile. Although like Mrs. Trumble they all looked startled. I scanned the room and saw Evie sitting in the corner, she raised her eyebrows and made a sort of 'swimming fish' hand gesture. I shrugged and shook my head, "talk later," she mouthed.

"Open your books to chapter forty-six and write down the all the different possible reactions that can take place within those mixtures." I instructed. I wait for everyone to look into their books and I started to stroll slowly around the classroom trying to look unsuspicious until I went towards Evie.

"Evie, what's wrong with me?" I whispered, as I leaned next to her ear.

"Do you want the honest answer or the sugar coated kind?" She asked.

"Evie, I want the honest one, no matter how strange." I answered.

"Okay." Evie sighed. "Your irises are red and purple and you look about ten years younger." She quickly explained. "It's gotta be fishy somehow."

"Evie, why did you have to tell me so harshly?" I asked, as I tried to process it in my mind.

"You did ask for the truth." She quietly giggled.

"So what did happen anyway?" She asked.

"I don't know how it happened, but I did pass out on the floor earlier for no reason, and…" I said, I stopped and thought about the potion that spilt on me that morning.

"And?" Evie asked as I stood straight up.

"Oh no." I looked up with my eyes widened.

"What?" She looked at me, confused.

"Is there a mirror or something with a reflection?" I asked in a panic.

"Yeah, there's a metal tray there." Evie pointed at some shelves.

"Thank you, Evie." I ran to the metal tray and picked it up. I looked at my upside down reflection, my eyes were a red and purple sprouting from my pupil. I didn't see my usual wrinkles on my face and neck, I looked almost perfect. I looked younger, I gasped at myself and accidently dropped the tray. I picked it up and quickly put it back. I turned around only to be faced with nine students off task and staring at me.

"Principal Santos, are you okay?" The student in front of me asked.

"Yes, Thomas, I'm fine. Now everyone, get back to work." I tried to remain calm, I walked back to the desk and sat down in the chair. I tapped my fingers on my lap violently and I didn't know how to react. _Okay, okay, okay...stop. You know how to deal with things like this. Maybe._ I had a sudden thought out of the blue, I always brought my spell book and potion vials. I sat my bag on the table and looked inside. I pulled a vintage leather book out, I flipped through some pages to a chart of eye colors. There were eyes colored with red and yellow, cat-like eyes, and eyes with different color combinations that were unnatural to humans. Each eye drawing had descriptions of the potion or spell that was used. I looked at the section, 'Combinations of Purple.' I went through all of it and couldn't find a match to my situation. I was in disbelief and I kept flipping through it over and over. It took me a minute to realize that it wasn't in there at all. I closed the book and sat there in thought. _If the red and the purple on my eyes mix together maybe I could mix the two potion reversing cures and fix both effects. Although, I will lose my amazing fountain of 'ten-year' youth._ I opened the book back up, purple meant youth and red meant love. _Wait, love?_ I looked back at the red, and it definitely said love. I looked in the back for the spell reversing recipes. I looked around the room and saw most of the ingredients on shelves.

"Ms. Santos, if we are done, do we do the experiment stated in the book?" A student asked me while I was off guard.

"Uh-uh…" I looked in the substitute notes. "Yes, follow the steps on the next page." I replied. He pulled out some lab equipment off of shelves and I scanned the room instinctive, I saw two students whispering to each other and looking at me. I felt embarrassed, even though I was older than them, I still felt socially pressured as a student would. I stood up with the book in my hand and quickly walked around the room gathering unused ingredients.I placed them on the table and set the book down. I found a dusty jar underneath desk on a small shelf. I carefully washed it in a lab sink, not getting myself wet. I started to pinch a little of this and a little of that into it. I knew that if I made a base mixture, I could later on use very small amounts of magic. I mixed the powders together and added four teaspoons of water until I got a soupy white substance. I looked inside my bag and found my potion box. My potion box was the size of my hand. I never left home without it. My motto was, 'You don't always know what's going to happen, so it's better to be prepared.' I opened the box full of small vials, I picked out the one filled with blue haired coral, and I only let four drips fall into the jar as instructed in the recipe. I looked up to see all the students working on experiments, I looked back at the book and flipped the page to the love reversing recipe. I used only one drop of sea sponge oil and mixed it with a spoon. It started to fizz as I put my vials back into my bag. I turned back to the book, I read the last part. _Drink._

"Drink it?" I questioned quietly. I looked up at the students, they were all busy with other things, either chatting or doing work. I would usually scold the chatting groups but I had a bigger problem at stake. I looked back at the book and flipped through the pages, I looked at both potion recipes and they instructed to drink it. I was afraid because I had only combined potions once or twice so I had a little bit of experience with deciding what to do. I gagged at the smell of the mixture, it started to turn black so it would be wise to drink it before it got any worse. I looked around the room and saw a plastic cup in the back that was smaller than the jar. I took it and poured the black liquid into it. I built up my courage, held my breathe while putting my lips on the edge, and tilted my head back. I put the empty cup down on the table and disgustedly gagged. I felt the slimy concoction slide down my throat. I looked up at the class, all of the students were looking at me.

* * *

Chapter 4

Evie shook her head at me in a panic. I tried to hint to her that I was also scared. I didn't stop to think and I blurted out, "Why is no one working?"

All of the students got the message and went back to their assignment. I rushed over to Evie, since she was the only one in the room that could help me.

"What are they thinking now? I don't know exactly what I did and why I did that. I tried to get rid of it!" I quickly spit out.

"Woah, Rita, calm down." She whispered. I looked at her in distress. "What were you trying to do exactly?"

"I was trying to get rid of the potion. I think I spilt... well, it was an accident, an experimental potion or something that the girls were making, on my arm. They said they were using ingredients from the reef." I explained. "I've been under a spell before, but this one is worse. I couldn't find a recipe for it in my spellbook and I tried to mix two cures together."

"Rita! Why would you do that?" Evie exclaimed.  
"I have no idea why I want to rush things! I am doing things that I can't explain!" I threw my hands in the air. I looked around and I could hear gossip soar around the room.

"Rita, just don't try to do anything else today." Evie grabbed my attention, I sighed and nodded. Never in my lifetime, I thought I would be told what to do like a child. I turned around and walked back to the desk. Moments later, the bell rang and I dismissed the students in a hurry. As everyone was leaving, I cleaned up the mess I made, Evie looked at me and gave me a nod. I looked down, ashamed at my idiotic behavior. I should have waited and gone home to find my other books with a possible answer to it. I picked up my bag and left as soon as I could. I decided that I was going to bring my work home for the day. I was walking down the halls, looking at the students chatting at their lockers with friends, I suddenly stopped. I felt a sharp pain in my head, I closed my eyes and put my palm on my temple. I blinked a few times and looked straight ahead, my eyes started to ring out as if in a transition into a wind tunnel. I looked around me, I stared at two girls holding binders in their arms as they walked across the grass.

"Did you hear what happened to Ms. Santos?" The blonde girl asked.

"No, what happened?" Her shorter, brunette friend asked and turned to face her.

"Like, Brenda, she acted so strange. She started to make this black goop out of things she found in the science room." She explained. "It was so weird, like she was making homemade drugs or something."

There was no possible way that I was listening to their conversation, they were so far from me, I thought I was going crazy. I looked around at all the other people.

"Ow! I hurt my finger! Stupid locker." A boy yelled as nicked his finger in a locker door.

"My class is so frustrating, the kids never shut up and listen!" A teacher gossiped as she walked with another staff member.

"Then, I jumped into the water and saved the hot chick." A boy was bragging to a bunch of his friends. I heard everything being said as if it was a large roaring speakerphone in my ear. I ran out of the school gates as fast as I could away from all of the commotion. I walked to the car park and found my volvo. I unlocked it and got in, I threw my bag into the backseat and sat in the chair for a minute. I cleared my head and slammed the car door shut. I took a few deep breathes, _if I have this new ability, let's learn to control it while I can._ I opened the door slowly and listened to the different sounds. I could hear the swimming pool water splashing, students talking in the courtyard, and teachers lecturing in classrooms on the top floor through the window. I tuned into the lecture, I giggled at the weird feeling of focusing on these sounds as if I was a radio. The lecture was about how scientists use genetic coding. I happily closed the door in satisfaction of controlling this new ability, I started the car and drove home.

* * *

Chapter 5

After hours of working, taking breaks, and letting Poseidon jump back and forth from my lap; I looked at the clock hanging on the wall, I was going to give myself two hours to get ready.

"Rita," Mimmi said as she walked down the hall into the kitchen with Sirena.

"Hi, Mimmi, Sirena; what've you been doing?" I calmly asked, I closed my laptop.

"We were swimming on the reef and we decided to drop by the pod." Sirena said, she smiled.

"Then, we got distracted on the way back and played with some dolphins." Mimmi cheekily added.

"Also, we did some shopping with the money I got from singing!" Sirena held up the bags in her hands.

"Rita, your face!" Mimmi finally noticed. She dropped the bags she was holding onto the floor.

"It's been a long day, your potion thing in the Grotto spilt on me." I sighed, I stood up. "So what exactly did you use?"

"We weren't entirely sure about the coral." Mimmi responded.

"Or about the seaweed," Sirena added. "but hey you look great!" I frustratedly looked at her, she got the message and scooted back in embarrassment.

"We were going to test it on a prawn." Mimmi lowered her head.

"People are going to ask questions! I acted like a fool today and I felt like I had no control over my thoughts." I started to pace across the floor. "Well, it's not your fault. It's mine, I should have been more careful."

"Rita, we can try to do something about it." Sirena suggested.

"You're going to have to do it later, I have that date with Mitch." I said. "I'll see you two later tonight, bye, girls." I started to walk to the bedroom.

I went into the walk-in closet, I passed my professional clothes and house clothes to the back. I pushed two curtains back to reveal an antique vanity. There were dresses beside the mirror on racks, each one from my travels with Harry. I looked through them but one caught my eye; a red slim dress, with a v-neck sort of shape and thick black belt. I pulled it off of the hanger and placed it next to my young looking, potion-created body. I stood in front of the mirror with it, I liked how it complimented my brown-reddish hair; so I placed it on the back of the seat. I went into the bathroom and opened the drawer on the side filled with hundreds of different hair accessories. I picked up the most elegant hairpin that I could find, the one Harry gave me on the day he proposed. I pulled my hair to one side of my head and let the rest of it fall into my shoulder. I put the clip on the side of my head. The clip was a line of shells strung together with clear, sparkling crystals. I opened my almost-ancient makeup box and lightly brushed on some gold eyeshadow. I put on a light red color of lipstick and closed the box. I stood up from the chair and put on the dress. I found a pair of black heels under a few coats and a black handbag with shells sewn into the fabric. I slipped on the shoes and gracefully walked out of the bathroom, I hadn't ever worn these shoes in my life. I bought them while in mind that I would wear them on our honeymoon in Italy; apparently, I never did. I turned off the lights and walked out into the hall, Ondina rushed out of the Grotto and almost knocked me over.

"Rita!" Ondina exclaimed. "Woah, why are you so dressed up?" She examined my dress.

"I'm going on a date. Ondina, why are you in such a hurry? You better be careful next time." I said, startled at almost being toppled off of my heels.

"I was going to find Sirena and Mimmi. Some mermaid came up to me and asked where Sirena was. Her name was Lyla, I believe, and she said she heard about us saving Mako." Ondina gave it a second thought.

"Lyla," I let the name roll off of my tongue. "Lyla." I whispered to myself.

"Yeah, Lyla. Who else? She's the only one named Lyla in the pod." Ondina commented.

"She was with Sirena and Nixie when Zac first fell into the moonpool, this caused the pod to flee for the first time in centuries. They were the first mermaids to come onto land in years. I miss her a lot, she wanted to help Zac learn about the ocean and love it just as mermaids did." I breathed in the thought of the three girls coming to me on that first day.

"Okay, I have heard Lyla and Nixie be mentioned a few times but I never heard what they really did." Ondina pondered over it for a moment.

"I can tell you all about what they did but I have to go. I have to meet up with Mitch in a few minutes." I was about to leave until Ondina stopped.

"Rita, no offense but I think you overdid it with your makeup." Ondina said.

"Thank you. I did it accidentally with a potion." I replied sarcastically.

"Wait, what?" Ondina thought about it.

"I'll tell you later." I said as I walked down the steps to the front door.

I opened the front door and looked up.

"Mitch!" I jumped.

"Hi, Rita." Mitch kissed me on the cheek. He was holding some flowers and a bag.

"What are you holding?" I asked.

"They're for y-" Mitch held up the bag and smiled. He looked down at me again, his grin wiped off his face. "Rita, no offense, but did you do something with your face?"

"Why? Is something wrong?" I asked.

"I mean, it's just you and me. I think you're beautiful already." He said. _Awww._ I blushed. _Wait, he thinks I'm wearing makeup?!_ My shoulders dropped. "So! What's in the bag?" I tried to change subjects quickly. He handed me the gift, I reached inside and felt a cold shape, I pulled it out.

"Oh! It's a... mermaid." I nervously chuckled as I held the small, blue, glass mermaid sculpture in my hands.

"Is it okay? If you don't like it I can always get you something else." He asked.

"No! No, it's lovely. Thank you! I'll put it on the kitchen table." I rushed up the stairs and placed the bag and gift on the kitchen counter. _I'm going to have to tell him sooner or later._ I went back to Mitch and looked up at him.

"AHH-Oh my god!" I screamed. His face was perfectly carved, his defined marks were gone, his face was perfect. _Oh shit, he's hot._ I felt myself blush again. _I love him even more...WHAT AM I SAYING? How did that happen?!_

"What's wrong? Rita, is everything ok?" He asked me.

"Nothing! I just forgot something at the school, I'll get it on Monday." I lied through my teeth. _I must look so jumpy._ I looked behind me to see the coat rack, I grabbed my thin, long, black coat.

"Let's go!" I anxiously said. He reached out his arm and I curled my hand around his bicep. We walked down the hill to his parked car. We got in his car and drove to down the road as the sunset brushed against the world, giving everything an orange tint. I laid my head on the side of the window and felt the vibrations of the car engine. I felt the warm sun touch my face as if it kissed me goodbye.

"Mitch, thank you…" I gently smiled at him. "for everything."

"No problem, I'll do anything for you." He grinned back at me, he reached for my hand and held it for a moment.

"Are you sure you will do _anything?_ " I asked. I was going to tell him.

"Are you testing me on how much I love you?" He raised his eyebrow and chuckled.

"No, no. I just want to tell you something later, maybe tonight or tomorrow."

"What is it? You can tell me." He looked over at me again.

"I'll tell you, just be patient."

"It's amazing that I still don't know you that well even after a whole year."

"Yeah." I sighed. We sat in silence until I reached into my bag. "I almost forgot!" I pulled out a box. "I got you a tie for your suit. I thought it would go well with the shirt you usually wear." We stopped at a red street light and I opened the box.

"Thank you, it's nice! I think I'll wear it to that business meeting I have on Thursday, it'll look professional." He cheekily smiled as he glanced down at it. We started to move again when the light turned green. I smiled at him but inside I felt ashamed that he didn't know about me yet.

We drove for a few more minutes until we made it to the restaurant. Mitch came to my side of the car and opened the door. He extended his hand out to me, I grabbed it and stood up.

"Are you ready?" He asked as he closed the door behind my back.

"Yes." I turned around and smiled at him. He placed his hand on my shoulder and lead me up the steps to the building. He processed to open one of the double doors for me. I gave him a small thank you across my lips. We walked into a crowd of many impatient customers, bombarding the hostess at the counter with questions. Mitch and I exchanged concern, I nodded toward the front desk. He slide through the crowd as I glanced around at everyone, each tapping their fingers or toes. I was still surprised by how humans always were in a rush. I stood against the wall next to a dusty fake plant in the corner. I waited calmly for Mitch to return, he scooted along the edge of the wall and raised his eyebrow.

"The reservations were mixed up. They're having problems with their computer system, they said it's going to be an hour wait." He explained as he walked up to me.

"I don't think it's worth it." I glanced at the crowd once more.

"Me neither, I think we should go. We can go to my place and have dinner, is that okay?"

"Yeah, that would be nice." I smiled at him.

He put his arm over my shoulder and we strolled out of the restaurant.

* * *

SNIPPET SOMETHING (RANDOM SCENE IN DATE)

*Sitting on the couch, Rita leans in closer throughout the movie and later on lays on MItch's chest by the end of the movie*

*Mitch hears Rita sniffling*

"What's wrong?" *Mitch shifts his body a little to look at her*

"Nothing." *Rita notices that Mitch caught her already, she wipes the tears still trying to deny that she is crying*

"No, there's something wrong, you're crying." Mitch says.

* * *

SNIPPET SOMETHING

I walked around as students were eating lunch and chatting away. I decided that I was going to just enjoy the warm sun before getting the fish I packed in my office. I slowly strolled on the paths near the green towards my office. _Oh god._ I felt a sudden wave of nausea as a boy walked pass me. He smelt really bad as if he hadn't had a shower in two days. _Do they not know that they smell._ I stopped and pressed at my temples. My stomach felt as if it was in knots. The feeling moved to my chest. My mind clicked, _no no no no…_ I looked around for a bathroom and saw one down the pathways near the halls. It wasn't a staff bathroom but I had no other option. I started to rush to it but I felt a burning in my throat. I covered my mouth and ran to the bathroom. I hit the door with my free hand and leaped for a stall. My mouth burst out all the remaining contents of sea urchin insides from my stomach. I thrusted my head forward inside of the toilet as I kicked the stall door closed. After two minutes of vomit pouring out of my mouth, I caught my breath and fell back against the wall. I squinted my eyes at the smell of sea urchin vomit and the bathroom. I started to tear up from the disgusting conditions I put myself in. I sprawled my legs out on the nasty floor. I was exhausted and weak, I flushed down the nasty vomit while my head was spinning. I got up and opened the door as the bell started to ring. I stood up, straightened my shirt, and looked at the mirror to see my hair in a mess. It was easier to let my hair down instead of try to fix it. I pulled the clips out and held them in my hand. I walked out of the bathroom uneasy on my feet. I pushed at my chest at the burning sensation. I looked around again, I saw one teacher walking through the halls on the other side. She stared at me, I just assumed she didn't care. I slowly paced back to my office

* * *

PREGNANCY TEST SCENE

I sat in the chair on the balcony, leaning over the test in my fingers. I couldn't stare at it, I could only glimpse at it. I stared at the sunset, trying to distract my mind from the knowledge of having a child growing inside of me. Instead of tears, it was shock and fear taking it's place. Instead of denying this child, it was 'How am I going to tell Mitch or am I going to tell him at all?' It was 'What if I get exposed during all of this because I can't save myself in time?' and 'Am I going to attract too much attention to myself?' Mitch, my secret, my job, my child. Questions of the future of all this were overwhelming.

* * *

 **SNIPPET ABOUT 3 MONTHS**

"Sirena, I feel weird coming here." I said softly, almost to a whisper.

"Rita, I'm sure it's fine, just because you're a principal doesn't mean you're an alien." I watched as two people left the café. "David doesn't mind, neither does Carly. Besides, they both know already. Also, I know that nobody really comes around this hour." Sirena tried to assure me. We both sat down at a table. Carly came to us, she looked nervous.

"Hi, Principal Santos, hi, Sirena. Um… what can I get you?" Carly stuttered.  
"Carly, are you alright?" Sirena asked, looking up. "You're sweating pinballs."

"Carly, it's alright. I'm not as stern as I am at school, I don't want anyone to be afraid of me. If that's the case and Sirena has told you, you can just call me Rita." I tried to calm Carly down.

"Are you sure?" Carly asked, she seemed to feel much better.

"Carly, we only came here to have lunch together." I smiled.

"For now, we'll have the plate of prawns." Sirena said to Carly.

"Also, can I get a full lobster?" I added.

"Alright." Carly walked back to the cool room, I could see her start to giggle.

Sirena looked back at me, "Rita, I want to discuss something." She started. I looked at her, waiting for her to continue. "You've been acting strange lately, more than usual."

"What do you mean?" I asked, I placed my folded hands onto the table.

"You've been sick, not the kind Evie and us got." Sirena explained, her face showing her concern. "Rita, this has been going on for weeks. This is different, than being sick, isn't it?"

"Sirena, I- I-" I was cutoff by Carly placing a large plate of prawns and lobster on the table. I stopped and looked at the food, I decided to not say anything to Sirena.

"Thank you, Carly." I said, I took the biggest prawn I could find on the plate and bit into the shell. I looked at Sirena, she was disappointed at me for avoiding her question.

"You're welcome." Carly backed away as I chewed into the large prawn.

"Sirena, I'm fine, don't worry, nothing's wrong." I picked a piece of the lobster tail and waved it around as I reassured her.

"Rita, this isn't like you. Also, you never talk with food in your hands or mouth and you never eat the shell in public. Only Nixie and Lyla did that, and they didn't live on land." She picked up a prawn and pulled the soft meat out of the shell. I pressed at my chest, I felt my unusual indigestion.

"I don't?" I confusedly asked her. I picked up another part of the lobster and bit straight into the shell. I felt a strong craving for the lobster, I kept pulling off the seafood on the plate.

"Rita?... Rita!" Sirena tried to grab my attention. She pushed my hand down onto the table. I dropped the prawn I was going to eat back onto the plate.

"Hey!" I looked up at her.

"You've never eaten this fast and you don't like lobster!" I could tell she was getting frustrated. She made me uncomfortable. "Stop acting strange."

"Sirena, we already are the definition of _strange_!" My voice raised as I started to stand up. I looked across the room at David and Carly, they looked disturbed at our heated argument.

"Oh-kaaay…." David mumbled under his breathe, he walked into the cool room and I sat back down.

"Rita, we came here not just for lunch, but to talk as well, I'm just concerned." Sirena started to calm down. I was embarrassed by how she was pointing out everything I was doing differently. I picked up the seafood I dropped on the plate and shoved it into my mouth.

"Stop trying to avoid this with food." She calmly told me.

"Sirena, I told you I'm fine. I'm just hungry." I looked down.

"No. You can't make up a lame excuse for avoid my conversation. Food, really Rita?" She picked up a prawn and slapped it back onto the plate to prove a point. "Tell me you can come up with something better than that." I didn't realize that Evie just walked into the room. I stood up.

"Sirena! Do you want to know? Do you _really_ want to know?! Fine! I'm eating almost four lobsters a day because I'M PREGNANT!" I infuriatingly yelled as I threw my hands up in the air. Evie, David, Carly, and Sirena all stared at me. I finally notice Evie standing there, everyone was in shock. I felt small tears fall onto my cheeks. Sirena studied my face and then my stomach, I couldn't blame her, anyone else would do the same, I just admitted that I was carrying an unborn child.

"Rita, what do you mean? That's impossible." Evie asked, she continued to come closer.

"I don't know!" I cried, I had no clue of what to do, I just wanted to hide.

"Rita, maybe we should talk about this at the house." Sirena suggested. I nodded, I sniffled. Carly grabbed a tissue and handed it to me. We all stood there in silence, I've never really been in the center of attention before, I was so used to being in an outer image.

"Actually, that's great! Congratulations, Ms. Santos." Carly broke the awkward silence of the room. I smiled at her, she made me feel better about the situation.

"Rita, that's great! Don't be ashamed of it." Evie came and hugged me. She looked at me and smiled, I couldn't help but smile back.

"Thank you, David. Sorry about the trouble." Sirena went to give him a hug. I turned around and looked at David.

"David, can I get three more lobsters? If you have any left." I asked with a slight smile.

"Sure, Ms. Santos." He replied, he rushed to the cool room and brought out a styrofoam crate. I took the crate from his hands.

"Thank you." I sweetly smiled. I now had support that I longed for, I didn't have to go through it alone. Sirena and I exchanged a simple goodbye with everyone. She lead me out the door. We walked down the dock to my house.

* * *

SNIPPET AFTER CAFE SCENE

"So how far are you into… well, you know." Sirena tried to ask. We opened the door to the condo and walked up the steps.

"I'm confident enough to say that I'm not sure but I think I had…" I started. "Mitch is the father. I told him and he hasn't said anything concerning," I said. I looked at Sirena, "yet." We both sat down in the kitchen. Sirena sat down in the chairs and I went behind the kitchen island. I picked up a cup and poured some water into it.

"Do you want some?" I asked her.

"No, I'm okay." Sirena replied. She folded her hands. "So when I was learning about humans, pregnancy is like," She looked up trying to find her words. "like growing a baby in a land girl's womb, instead of an egg."

"Correct." I took a sip of my water.

"But you're not a land girl." She stated.

"Yes, but I guess

* * *

WEDDING SCENE

Commitment to a person is a very delicate and fragile thing. If there is an unbalance to the commitment, it snaps. Although it may seem like we rushed into this, I know we were already prepared. Mitch loves me and I love him. Now that he knows about his child, we both can get ready for its arrival together.

In this moment, there is no one helping me fit into my white dress. I'm alone in the room, only a mirror to accompany me. I examined my hair, pulled up into a diamond clip and decorated with pearls. I repeatedly yank the dress over my breast, I sigh over the fact I only bought the dress a week earlier. The strapless dress was large and heavy at the bottom, a giant layer of tulle and fabric. Still, it was beautiful with white faux butterflies scattered around in each ruffle. There was still one detail I hadn't glossed over yet, I was three months pregnant. There was an odd bump under the dress but I wasn't going to let that make me uncomfortable. Besides no one is going to care except me. I walked out of the room into a garden. Flowers surrounded me and to shelter me was a canopy created by trees. At the end of the garden was a small dome structure covered in vines sprouting every way. I walked onto the weathered stone pathway. Mitch, dressed in a handsome tuxedo and the minister were standing patiently in the dome. When I reached them, the minister nodded.

"Is it weird that I didn't wear a veil?" I asked Mitch as we stared at each other.

"No, it's fine. Are you ready?" Mitch responded.

"I was always ready." I smiled. Holding hand in hand, we turned to the minister.

After he finished, we looked deep into each other's eyes. This was the moment we become infinitely united.

"I, Mitch Arden Ross, take you, Rita Santos, to be my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part." Mitch vowed.

"I, Rita Santos, take you, Mitch Arden Ross, to be my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part." I vowed.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may kiss the bride." The minister announced. Mitch brought his hands behind my back and to my head, he pulled me towards him. We shared our first kiss as husband and wife.

"I'll give you two a moment to settle." The minister said as he left the garden.

Mitch and I sat stared once more at each other but closer than before. I rested my head against his chest. We locked hands near my waist.

"You know, I never told you." I softly said.

"What did you not tell me?" Mitch asked.

"I'm also a siren." I chuckled.

"Which means?"

"I guess we can have our first dance here."

Mitch let out a small laugh. "You're going to sing, right now?"

I started to sing a very slow song as I looked back up at him. We swayed back and forth across the floor. He raised an eyebrow, I assumed he wasn't sure of my voice but in a few moments he grinned. After several minutes of dancing, we walked out of the dome into the garden.

"Mitch, I want to show you my world one day. Well, my world before." I said.

"What do you mean?"

"The ocean but in a different way."

* * *

SNIPPET AFTER MARRIAGE

"Zac, get out of my kitchen." I said, I put my hand on the counter and the clack of my wedding ring slap onto the marble.

"Rita, did I do something wrong?" He asked as he bit into a juicy large prawn. I watched as drips of sauce rolled down his lip. Sirena watched as I eyed the food in his hand.

"Out, Zac. Go finish your food somewhere else." I pointed down the hall.

"Uh, Rita, are you okay? What was that about?" Sirena raised an eyebrow. I pressed my fingers against my forehead.

"Alright… I'll just be off then…" Zac crept away, picking up his plate of food.

"Rita, if you wanted some, you could have asked and I would've gotten you it." Sirena suggested. She got off of the couch and headed for the fridge. I whipped around and glanced at her.

"I'm fine, I don't need any." I snapped, I could smell the seafood drifting in the air. I wanted to taste it but if I ate it, I knew I would puke afterwards. I decided it would be easier just to eat anything beside it for the rest of the day.

"Um, it was for me." Sirena jumped. She took out a serving of the prawns and placed them on a plate. I stared at the white dish of shellfish, I frustratedly let out a breath.

"Actually, I'm going on the balcony to finish some work."

* * *

RANDOM BONDING SCENE

I was laying sideways on the couch, reading my book until I felt a punch to the stomach. I was caught off guard and I jumped. I realized that the baby was kicking again. I flip onto my back and put my book down on the coffee table. I stared at my belly.

"Mitch. Mitch! Come here!" I called out to him. I turn my head and watch him rush down the hall. He knelt down at my side and held my hand.

"What's wrong? Rita, is the baby okay? Are you okay?" He asked worriedly.

"Calm down, look." I place his hand on my stomach. I smile at him and watch his eyes light up and smile.

"It's really kicking." He said at the sudden jerks.

"Yeah, it's pretty strong." I flinched at the movements.

"I can't wait until next week." He pressed his ear on my belly. "Hello in there, Daddy's waiting to know if you are my little girl or boy." He kissed me on the forehead and started to run his fingers through my hair. I closed my eyes and rested my hands on my stomach. I wondered if it's was going to be a boy or a girl but it was more important to wonder if it would be full mermaid, full human, or hybrid. It scared me of the things I was not prepared for, I cleared my mind. I pondered the moment between mother and child, knowing that I have know this baby before I _knew_ it.

"What do you think you'll do if the baby is a mermaid or merman?" Mitch asked seriously. I opened my eyes and turned my head towards him.

"I don't know, we'll just have to see, won't we?" I sighed. I stopped and realized the importance of remembering and not being careless. "Wait, Mitch we can't go to that ultrasound."

"Why?" He asked.

"What if it's got a tail and we can't explain that to the nurse." I explained. "They might do tests or worse, maybe even take out the baby prematurely." Shivers went down my spine as I said it. I tried to grab onto the side of the couch and stand up. I gave it a few tries until I laid back down and groaned.

"Here." Mitch reached out his hand. I grabbed his hand and pulled myself up.

"Thanks." I picked up my book on the coffee table. I folded the corner of the page and closed it. Mitch observed the front cover and raised his eyebrow.

" ' _You and Your Baby in 9 Months_ '." He read off of the cover. "You know this isn't your normal, everyday, human pregnancy, right?" He asked concernedly.

"I know, but if there are similarities, at least I'll know something about it." I replied, confidently. He studied my eyes for a moment, then his face gave approval.

"Okay then, I guess you can't be too prepared." He placed his hand on my shoulder and lead me to the hall.

"Mitch, why don't we take a walk on the beach later?" I asked. I opened the door to my bedroom, we walked inside and I placed my book on the bedside table.

"Are you sure? You don't really like to go out, unless you're working or swimming." He raised his eyebrow at my new decision.

"Look, it's been maybe years since I've used these _things_ for a greater purpose than walking to the school." I joked as I shook my legs. "I feel like having some prawns, then we'll go, okay?"

"Sure."

* * *

 **SNIPPET AFTER BONDING SCENE**

Mitch and I walked down the hill to the beach. I looked around, I saw a few of my students. They looked just as embarrassed as I was, I felt awkward. I regretted my decision to walk outside, where everyone could see me and Mitch together. I tried to ignore their staring. I focused on how beautiful the sunset was. I looked at Mitch, his hand held mine, and my feet touching the warm, dry sand. I looked down at my belly, I noticed that it was much bigger than I thought it was. I felt a little self-conscious of the way it looked. I once again tried to take my mind off of it.

"Mitch," I started. I felt the warm breeze run through my hair.

"Yes?" He studied my eyes.

* * *

LAST SWIM SCENE

I sat down at the sea entrance, feeling down, knowing that it might be my last time swimming. I slide my legs into the water and sat on the ledge. I felt my legs transform into my tail, I looked down at it happy to see it one last time. I knew that today was the last exception for a casual swim, after that I would probably see my tail again by accident. I looked out at the tidal rings dancing on the water. I went down under the surface and opened my eyes. I swam out into the open ocean and slowly paddled my way along the coast. I made my way to the large reefs near the caves, a quarter of a mile from my house. I slowly swam around the coral. I smiled at the sight of each little fish seeming to play in the anemones. I softly laid down on a soft coral sponge and and placed my hands on my belly. I stared at the surface and the fish. I imagined my little girl swimming with me through the kelp forests together. I was about to get up and swim back home until I saw a small, young mermaid swim around the corner. She looked startled as I was. She swam away towards Mako where the pod was, I knew that this wasn't good so I hid myself and followed her at my own pace. I found her talking to Veridia, which _was_ the head of the Mermaid Council. I swam behind a rock and stayed hidden.

"There was a mermaid near the coral covered rock forms closer to land, where the houses are." She explained to Veridia.

"Ava, that's fine as long as she stayed hidden." Veridia said.

"But... but her stomach was huge like perfectly round. It didn't look normal. It was weird, I just wanted to tell you because she was thin and her stomach wasn't, it just didn't add up." Ava tried to tell her. "You said if anyone saw something unordinary, we should come and tell you." She looked down.

"Okay, if you are that concerned, I will keep an eye out for this suspicious character." Veridia swam back down. I thought that Veridia went the other way, so I came out from behind the rock and came out of my invisible state. I looked behind me for a second and saw Veridia. She was swimming my way so I hid myself again and slowly swam home. I hoped she didn't see my face but I was sure she saw my stomach.

* * *

AFTER SWIM SCENE

I found Mitch in the kitchen, I was crying.

"Honey, what's wrong?" He dropped the papers he was holding on the counter. He came up to me and hugged me. He kissed me on the head.

"Someone saw me," I tried to explain through tears drowning my throat.

"As a mermaid?" He asked.

"No, not a human, I was swimming. A little girl, not a girl but small mermaid. Ava, I think, told Veridia that I was pregnant." I said. I looked up at him, I tried to wipe the tears rolling on my cheeks."Well, she only described my belly. She probably didn't know what it was, obviously."

"Does Veridia know it's you?" Mitch asked.

"I don't think so." I said, unsurely.

"That's good, at least."

"It's just against the nature of all mermaids. I'm probably the first mermaid ever to _be_ pregnant. Mermaids have eggs and I've been six months with a baby _in_ me." I looked down at my baby bump. "There's a huge difference in that Mitch. It's like a bird giving birth in a nest, it's against nature by... a lot." I sniffled.

"Maybe the pod might accept that, maybe not today but later, you maybe have about three months." Mitch tried to assure me.

* * *

PLAN FOR HARRY'S REVEAL (SECRET NOT ACTUAL HARRY) SCENE

"I mean, I was already was casted out when..." I realized that I had never told him.

"Why were you casted out?" Mitch confusedly asked.

"Mitch, I need to tell you something." I let go of him.

"I met a man before," I started. "I used to sneak onto land to meet him, and when the pod learned about him," I continued. "I was casted out and... and..."

"What happened?" Mitch started to get eager.

"Harry and I got engaged," I started to to tear up again. "but he died before the wedding. After that, I promised myself that I would never love anyone again." I sat down on the couch. I placed my head in my hands.

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" Mitch asked, he looked upset.

"I met you and I fell in love with you. I thought telling you would push you away." I tried to explain.

"I would never leave you, I certainly didn't when I learned you had a tail." He came up to me and brushed the hair out of my eyes. "I loved you from the moment I saw your face." He told me, I smiled and kissed him.

* * *

POST-FIRST CONTRACTION SCENE (REWRITE AFTER BIRTH SCENE)

"Good morning, Honey." I heard Mitch's soft voice flood into my ears. I smile as the warm sunlight touches my cheeks. I breathed deeply as I stretched to get up, putting my hand on his face as I opened my eyes. I gazed at his face as he grinned sweetly.

"Good morning." I said in response.

"Should we get up or stay in bed for another hour?" Mitch laughed. We stared into each other's eyes.

"I think it's a lovely day, we should at least sit on the balcony." I said. Mitch started to get out of the bed. He walked around to my side and reached out his hand. I looked up at him with a grin. I grabbed onto his hand and sat up, I suddenly felt a pain in the side of my stomach. I stopped for a moment and squinted my eyes.

"Rita, are you okay?" Mitch concernedly asked.

"Yeah, yeah." I looked up at him. "Probably just another boxing match with my insides." I joked. I placed my feet firmly onto the ground and pushed myself up from the bed. My light purple, long, silk dress fell down from my knees as I stood up. I adjusted the straps on my shoulders and turned around to face the messy sheets on the bed.

"Mitch, can you go downstairs and make a plate of prawns and, hm…" I looked up at the ceiling deciding on what to have. "what about, two crabs?"

"Sure, I'll go make it." Mitch started to leave the room.

"Also, David just dropped off another box of seafood, it should be in the fridge." I called out.

"Okay, Hon." He replied as he turned down the hall.

I looked down at the bed, I fixed up the sheets and pulled them over the pillows. I finished and turned around, the see-through window curtains were gracefully flapping in the warm breeze. I watched as they danced from side to side, I walked up to them and opened the window. I looked outside and saw the beach down below with people scattered across the sand. I watched as some of them jumped into the rolling waves, my eyes started to search out at the sea. I saw some heads surface in the deep waters. I gently smiled as the young mermaids played a game, leaping from the water and splashing each other frantically. I sat there in silence until I felt another kick to my stomach. I looked down at my belly _, I am tired of this, get it out of me._ I closed the windows and the curtains fell, even though the light still flooded into the room. I put on my robe hanging from the wall by a hook. I shuffled my feet to the kitchen with all the weight hanging from my torso. I sat down at the kitchen island as Mitch was making his breakfast. I found a glass sitting on the counter and I poured some water into it. I took a sip of it and set the glass down, I stared straight ahead frustratedly blowing steam from my nose.

"Mitch," I started.

"Yes?" he looked back and placed a large plate of seafood in front of me.

"I'm so done with this all." I sighed.

He chuckled and turned off the stove. "Pregnancy will do that to you." He poured his scrambled eggs onto a small plate. He picked up his mug of coffee and sat in front of me.

"Hey! You're not the one who's pregnant, you don't know what it's like." I said.

"Trust me, my older sister would not stop going on about it when she had my nephew." Mitch looked up from me, he shoved a fork of eggs into his mouth.

"Is your sister a mermaid?" I raised my eyebrow, I picked up a crab leg.

"No, but..." Mitch looked up. "Okay, you have a point."

"I thought so." I smiled in a small victory, I sat back a little as we looked at each other and took bites of our different meals. _Eggs and crabs._

"Do you want to go onto the balcony?" Mitch asked after he took a sip of his coffee.

"Yeah, just let me go and-" I stopped.

"Are you okay?" He asked as my eyes shifted into a panic.

"Oh god. Oww." I bent over in my chair with my mouth agap. I held my stomach through the violent jerks.

"Rita, what's going on?" MItch asked concernedly.

"It's- it's more than I'm used to." I sat back up and slightly shook my head. "I'm alright, it'll be over soon, I just need a minute."

"Are you sure? You don't

* * *

BIRTH SCENE (STARTED REWRITE ABOVE, THIS WAS VERY "OUT THEREEEE" :S)

I was looking out at the horizon as the sun was setting, sitting down at the table on the balcony. I thought it was so beautiful, I sat my hand on my large stomach. I looked at the girls sitting on the bench, talking about the funny things that they had done with the pod. I looked down at Poseidon, who was jumping onto my table. I felt a sudden pain in my belly. I thought it was another round of kicking, until I felt a harder one that made me cringe. I felt a large one that made me double over in my chair. I climbed out of the chair with the strength that I had. I felt to my knees and I curled up on the floor and held my stomach.

"OWWWW!" I screamed. I tightly closed my eyes and curled up even tighter. I opened my eyes and saw the girls jumping up and coming towards me.

"Rita, are you ok?" Ondina asked, I could hear the panic in her voice.

"I don't know." I responded.

"Ondina, I think she's having the baby." I heard Sirena. I felt their hands try to pull me up from the ground.

"OH MY GOD!" I cried. I kept opening my eyes and seeing a different area of the condo. I kept shuffling my feet. I couldn't make out where I was going, my mind was only focused on the pain. The girls lead me to the front of the bookcase.

"Girls, why are we going to the Grotto? Why not the bedroom?" I looked up at them.

"Crap. How could I be so stupid?" Sirena blew steam out of her nose in frustration.

"But… the supplies are in the Grotto." Ondina said.

"Then, Ondina, go get them." Mimmi sternly ordered.

"Seriously!" Ondina ran down into the Grotto.

"Rita, hold on." I heard Mimmi say.

"Mimmi, I thought contractions came before going straight into labor." I said.

"Rita, I don't know. Well, it _is_ completely new to nature." Mimmi tried to give me an explanation.

"Well, now that I think of it, I was hurting this morning." I managed to spit out.

"I'll get Mitch." I heard Ondina run up the stairs.

"Sirena, there's, uh..." I tried to make out what I wanted in my head. "Fuuuuck! Oh my god." I cringed. Mimmi got me onto the bed in the room. I looked up at Sirena, she was blurry in my teary-eyed vision.

"Rita what is it?" Sirena asked.

"There's a bottle of sea slime and grounded coral. It's greenish purple, it's in a small clear glass." I said. I cringed again. I felt the worse pain I had ever had in my life.

"Where?" Sirena asked.

"On the shelves, in the Grotto, to your left." I said. Sirena ran out of the room.

"Oh, this feels really awkward." Mimmi said as she pushed my dress out of the way, spread my legs, and pushed them up. She looked between them.

"Hey, at least the heads coming out!" She said. Sirena ran back in and Ondina behind her, holding a large amount of towels.

"Here, Rita. I found it!" Sirena held up the small bottle.

"Good, now pour it halfway into that glass." I pointed at a small cup that looked like a shot glass on the desk. "Harry gave me that once."

"Rita!" I watched Mitch run into the room.

"Luckily, I called Mitch and he was only two minutes away." Ondina proudly said.

Sirena handed me the small glass. I tried to sit up and dumped the mixture into my throat as fast as I could.

"You just drank that nasty liquid!" Sirena looked at me disgustedly. "What was that?"

"Pain killer." I said. I dropped the glass on the bed at the feeling of relief. "It's like an epidural, just not directly into your back." I felt so much better. "I can use it during any stage, later than the human injection version."

"Would that hurt the baby at all?" Sirena asked.

"No, I made it. I know it wouldn't hurt anything." I replied. Mitch rushed to my side.

"Are you ok?" Mitch asked. I looked at him like he was stupid.

"Am I ok? Am I ok?! AM I OK?! YOU FUCKING DID THIS TO ME! I HATE YOU!" I freaked out at him. "OH MY FUCKING GOD!" I felt the pain again even after I just had an effective amount of pain reducing formula, it even hurt more than before.

"Shit! I thought the sea slime and coral would work! AAUUGGHHH!" I scraped the bed sheets with my nails making marks in the fabric. I couldn't care less at the sheets, I could replace them. I just wanted it to be all over.

"Mitch, I don't think she means that." Mimmi assured him. She kept looking at the baby's head. "You have to remember that she _is_ in a lot of pain."

"I... AM... FUCKING... DYING!" I screamed in between breathes. "MITCH!"

"Yes, Rita?" He asked. "Just keep breathing, ok?" I grabbed his arm, I squeezed it as hard as I could. His eyes bulged out of his skull as I forced my fingers into his skin. I felt a flood of tears run out of my tightly shut eyes. My forehead was dripping with sweat.

"WHY DOES IT HURT SO MUCH?!" I cried. My neck strained upwards to the ceiling as I whimpered. I slowly let go of his arm and reached out towards a chair near the desk. I pulled it next to the bed. I put my hand in it and I pushed down. The back of the chair cracked as I cried in pain, I frustratedly pushed it away. I sat myself up and pressed my elbows into the mattress.

"Rita, breathe, keep pushing!" Ondina came to Mimmi's side. Mitch went to help Mimmi out.

"I AM!" I screamed. I repeatedly kept saying that I was going to die. Sirena was placing the towels around me and partially under my legs to be helpful.

"Last time I probably saw that was nine months ago." Mitch laughed. The girls looked at him and I pointed my middle finger at him. I was in so much pain and he had to make a stupid joke.

"Oh, sorry." He said, embarrassed. He came and let me grab his strong hand, I squeezed his palm.

"Your wife is in pain, Mitch. Really?" Sirena said. She shook her head in disbelief.

I screamed, I must have lost my mind in that moment, my eyes scanned the room. I saw Poseidon scurry around and rudely leave. Ondina ran behind him, I didn't care about them in that moment and squeezed Mitch's hand harder.

"Rita, a few more pushes!" Mimmi said, encouragingly.

"Mitch, your arm is hairy." I paused. I looked at him, my eyes were stinging, I felt the messy curls in my hair falling onto my shoulders.

"Yes, Dear." Mitch stared at me and patted my hand.

"I hate you."

"Yes, Dear." He let me squeeze his hand harder.

"I'm going to die." I scraped my teeth against each other.

"No, you're not going to die." He tried to reassure me.

"I'm going crazy." I chuckled as my eyes watered.

"Yes, you've sort of lost it." He looked down at my red, sore hand.

"Don't tell me that! I'm in FUCKING LABOR, you son of a BITCH!" I screamed.

"Yes, we all know that."

Sirena stared at our odd moment.

"Rita, don't stop! You're doing great!" Mimmi encouraged me.

I pushed as hard as I could. I kept screaming in small bursts. My eyes were tearing up at the pain.

"You can do it, Honey!" Mitch told me. "Come on!"

Ondina ran back into the room. "I found some towel racks."

"Ondina, why did you get those?" Sirena asked.

"I thought that maybe Rita can push off of them and maybe help out Mitch a little bit." Ondina replied. The girls looked back at her. "Hey! At least I'm doing something useful."

"Oh, god! Thank you!" I yelled. Ondina put the two racks near my arms. I let go of Mitch's arm and placed my hands on the bars. I pushed against them and Mitch kept encouraging me to breathe and push.

"One more push!" Sirena said. In response, I pushed as hard as I could.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" I felt a wave of relief through my body and mind. I fell back to catch my breathe. _I just had a child. A beautiful girl._ I heard the reassuring wails of a newborn and I continued to feel tears fall from my eyes, I was too overjoyed to speak.

"You just had a baby girl," Mimmi smiled as she held my child in her arms with a towel. "And maybe just with an orange addition."

"What?" I sat up and saw my baby with a bright orange tail.

"Mitch," I paused. "Coralia's a mermaid."

"I know but at least she's as beautiful as her mother." Mitch watched as Mimmi cut the umbilical cord, he kissed me and we both smiled at each other. I was still in so much pain but I was too overjoyed to focus on it. I was glad that I could still function after that. Mitch went over to Mimmi and held Coralia. He was about to come over to let me hold her but I shifted towards Ondina as she confusedly look between my legs. _What is she doing?_

"Um, is there suppose to be another huge grubby thing come out after the baby?" Ondina asked.

"Maybe, why?" I confusedly replied.

"AHHHHHHHH!" I felt the same horrible pain as before as my back rose off the bed. I screamed, it hurt more than I wanted it to. I fell back and screamed to the top of my lungs.

"There's another?!" Mimmi freaked. "Ondina, you might have to pull the baby out! I'm taking care of Coralia!"

"What?... What... other?!" I panted.

"What?! Why do I have to do it?!" Ondina looked at them with disappointment. I felt my body crumbling. I couldn't take the pain anymore, I felt like giving up.

"ONDINA! I DON'T CARE IF YOU THINK ITS NASTY! TAKE _WHATEVER_ IT IS OUT OF ME NOW!" I yelled at her. I laid back on the table. Mitch's eyes widened at the sight of this unexpected child, he handed Coralia back to Mimmi. Mimmi carefully handed Coralia to Serina.

"Rita, push! I know you don't want to, but you have to! Come on, just one more!" Mimmi kept telling me. Mitch came to my side again and held my hand.

"Rita, you can do it! Come on, Honey!" Mitch excitedly exclaimed.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!...Holy shit!" I cried. Mimmi pulled another baby out of me. _She just pulled out another child, out of me. I just had another child. I have twins._ I didn't know that I had two babies inside of my body. I was so shocked by how crazy it sounded that I had no knowledge of my other child.

"Ondina, I didn't have a towel." Mimmi held a boy with a blue tail in her arms, obviously with no towel, her arms and shirt were covered in goop. Mitch ran to the baby and held him, with the umbilical cord still attached.

"Thank you, Mitch." Mimmi said quickly. I laid back down and caught my breathe.

"Mitch, here's some scissors to cut the rope thing." I heard Ondina say, followed by a snip, then a loud thud on the floor. I dropped my legs back down and sat up at the sounds of his little relieving cry. I saw Mimmi on the floor drying her tail and Sirena holding Coralia, wiping the goop off of her with a soft towel.

"They're so beautiful." I started to tear up again.

Ondina picked up some large pillows and placed them behind my back. Mimmi stood back up and went to Sirena to wrap Coralia in a blanket. Mitch picked up a blanket as well and wrapped my baby boy in it. Ondina and Sirena were smiling and they hugged each other. Mitch and Mimmi came up to me and placed my babies in my arms. I smiled and kissed each of them on the forehead, I finally knew what it meant to be a mother.

"Awww…" Ondina smiled and teared up.

"Ondina, I didn't know you have a soft spot." Sirena joked and nudged her.

"They're adorable." Mimmi grinned from ear to ear. Mitch sat by me and looked at their button noses. I looked up at him and a look of concern washed over my face.

"Mitch, what are we gonna name this little one?" I asked as I turned my head towards my boy.

"I don't have a clue, I just was expecting a little girl after you told me." He answered.

"Can we name him after my father?" I asked.

"Sure." He agreed.

"His name was Caspian though." I looked up at Mitch.

"Oh, uh… Caspian. Hm, actually, what about Max? Short for Maximus." Mitch suggested.

"Caspius?" I giggled. "I'm just joking."

"Maximus Caspian Ross." He confidently said.

"Ok, you get to name him since I named Coralia." I agreed upon his name.

"Coralia Thalassas and Maximus Caspian Ross." Mitch formally officialized.

"Max and Cora." I pronounced, I smiled at each of the girls. Suddenly, I heard the front door open and close.

"Who's that?" I asked as I looked at the babies and heard footsteps scramble across the floor.

Unexpectedly, Evie and Zac rushed into the room.

"Is Rita ok now?" Zac asked, trying to catch his breathe.

"Yeah, it was really stressful." Mimmi replied.

"Awww... they're tiny and cute." Zac uttered. I smiled at him and lightly rocked Max and Cora in my arms.

"Oh, yeah. I forgot after you screamed at me, that I called Zac and Evie when I went to go get the towel racks." Ondina said, she rocked back and forth on her heels. I looked at Evie, she was sweating down her forehead.

"We were on the beach, so we ran here." Evie explained. "Oh my god! They are so precious!" She added. After minutes of minutes of smiling and tearing up; we all settled down and talked about the crazy event, I joined in on the conversation to add in a few details. I sat there in the bed still sore but I felt so overjoyed to have two, little, healthy babies peacefully sleeping in my arms.

* * *

CAR CRASH SCENE (YEAR AFTER CHILDREN/ BOOK 2)

I smiled at Lyla for a moment, time seemed to slow down, the world exploded in front of my eyes. The blinding light flooded the car, the impact sent my head flying towards the dashboard. Lyla and Sirena screamed in sheer terror and pain. My neck whipped straight into the steering wheel, I banged my skull against it. My eyes filled with tears as I heard Lyla's bones crack underneath the side door crushing her body. The shards from the windows jetted into the seats, slicing through my skin, shedding blood across my face and arms. Time was still, the shattered glass was still, the blood was still. I couldn't reflect on the moment, it happened so slowly yet so fast.

The constant fighting to pull back to reality or stay in the moment. I opened my eyes, I was in pain, my head was pounding. Lyla was pinned underneath the crunched door, the glass was scattered across the seats. I sat my head back, I managed to twist it just enough to see Nixie whimpering and Sirena trembling. Sirena grabbed her purse and pulled out her mobile phone. With shaky hands she tried to dial a number as she smeared blood all over her phone screen. She unlocked the car door and climbed out.

"Nixie, are you ok?" She asked. I could only hear Nixie slowly move towards her side of the car and get out. Moments later I hear Sirena crying out, "Zac! Zac! We got into a car crash. Nixie and I are scared, we don't know what to do!"

"Sirena, let me talk." Nixie said.

"Here." Sirena muttered.

"Zac, get anyone you can to come help, Rita and Lyla are badly hurt…what?...we're on Seymour Road or around it….that's what it says on the sign….ok...ok. Bye."

* * *

COMA DREAM AFTER CRASH

I woke up in my bed to the doorbell ringing, I sat up blinking my eyes. Stepping my feet on the ground, putting on my gray robe, and rushing down the hall angered me.

"Coming!" I frustratedly called out as I descended down the steps. I straightened out my nightgown but before opening the door lock, I thought to myself. _Why would anyone want to come to the principal's house._ I opened the door and gasped. My eyes welled with tears as I stared at him.

"Oh my god." I covered my mouth in shock. I finally felt the desperate tears that held to my eyes fall onto my cheeks. "Harry." I managed to spit out, my head spun around. _He was dead. I watched him die in my arms._

"Rita." He said with a lump of guilt in his throat. "I'm so sorry."

"No! You died! I watched you die! I sat and held your hand. You died in that war!" I panicked.

I sat at the edge of the bed. Hundreds of soldiers calling out for needs as nurses ran around helping patients. I looked down at my dirty, blood stained nurse uniform. I had been sitting in the chair for hours attending to Harry as he slowly bled out from his gunshot wound. I tilted my head to look down at the red bandage around his torso.

"Harry, I won't leave you. I'll be here all night if I have to." I held my hand within his. I placed my lips against his knuckles. I shut my eyes as my lips quivered.

"Rita, I won't leave you." He started to cough. I handed him a glass of water with my free hand. "Look, when we walk down that aisle, we'll have that white wedding you've always wanted, on the beach too just how you imagined it." He smiled. I tilted my head at the ceiling as I sniffle and chuckled in a small relief.

"Rita," He said weakly.

"Hm?"

"you should get some rest." He told me.

"No, I said I wasn't going to leave. I'll stay by you no matter what." I looked sternly at him.

He nodded as my eyes allowed tears to escape. As I held his hand, I softly laid my head on his chest. Ten minutes later, I started to drift until he began to cough violently. I handed him the glass of water again, he started to calm down. "Rita, I know now."

"What?" I softly asked.

"I must accept that maybe I am going-" He started to say in between coughs.

"No. Don't say things like that. You are going to stay alive, I will keep you alive." I cut him off.

"Rita, I'm not going to make it." He said.

"Harry, you can't, I need you." I cried.

"Shh. Rita stop, don't say anything." He inhaled deeply. "I love you." With the strength he had left, he reached out his hand to place it around my cheek. He pulled me in and placed his lips on mine, I closed my eyes and let my heart take over my mind. His grip loosen and he exhaled. I opened my eyes and looked at him, he laid there unresponsive and cold. The few second that I sat completely still were of total shock. My fiance had left me, he was gone.

"Harry?" I leaned over him and shook his shoulders. "Harry?!" I shook him some more. "Harry! No, no, no! Don't leave me! Harry!" I started to whimper.

"Harry! No! No! No- ooo!" I burst into tears as I leaned on his chest. "No!"

* * *

Final Version:

Hook:

After the Trident Stone was destroyed, life was expected to carry on peacefully, but unexpected turns will get in the way.

(Strong language and mature content.)

Disclaimer: Rita and Dr. Mitch Ross are shipped extensively.

* * *

Chapter 1

 _Click, click, click._ The sounds of my heels are music to my ears each day when I walk through these halls. My job has become quite uneventful since I've learned to avoid water fairly well. Holding stacks of binders has become too easy for me as well as keeping order of the teachers and students. But now that my tedious routine is interrupted, I have something to look forward to after the almost endless-feeling week. Mitch is taking me on a date for our first year anniversary of meeting each other. I still hate that I can't remember anything after idiotically laughing for no reason in front of him. He actually doesn't know about my secret… yet and has no idea why I was acting that way. It still is a complete struggle to keep him distant yet so close. I want him to know about who I truly am but I'm afraid of how he will react. I can't predict if he will send me to the marine biology institute or let me be in peace. I have a strong feeling that he'll accept anything we go through. I've decided to tell him when the time is right, I just need to know when it's time.

My mind wanders mostly when I'm walking to meetings, the direction to the conference room has just become muscle memory. On my right, I walked by a glass case with sports trophies and slowed down just enough to glance at my hair and outfit. I inspected quickly, nodded, and proceeded to step through the door on the left at the end of the hall. I wasn't at all surprised to see that I was the first one to arrive. I shut the door behind me and sat down at the front of the rectangular table. I opened my binder and scribbled some notes for my ideas I wanted to present. I looked up at the clock bolted to the wall and watched the minute hand tick by. I started to get anxious for the other teachers to walk in so I scouted the room for something to do. A water jug caught my eye, I smirked and reached out my hand. With a small flick of my wrist, the jug started to rattle until it spewed a fountain of water towards me. I didn't plan for it to jump at me but just twist around for my mear entertainment. I instinctively ducked under the table as the water hit the wall. The water streamed down in drops to only be absorbed by the carpet floor. Just as I looked up, Mr. Goldt, Mrs. Penatory, and Miss Lively walked in as they were chatting.

"Ms. Santos, why are you on the floor?" Mr. Goldt asked. I frantically looked for an excuse.

"Um… I was looking for my… pen, I dropped it." I searched for something on the floor, but I failed. I stood up and nervously smiled at them. "I'll just use a different one."

They hesitated but sat down at the table afterwards.

"So, Ms. Santos, how are you?" Miss Sarah Lively cheerfully asked. I sat down and straightened out my neutral-colored skirt.

"I'm doing fine, and you?" I responded.

"We were just discussing if we could ever celebrate your birthday in the teacher's lounge." She looked over at the two. "Unfortunately, you never told us when it was. If you don't mind, when is it?"

I wasn't thinking and blurted out, "On the full third moon." My eyes widened. That was a mistake, humans don't count by moons. I haven't ever thought to search up when that was. I only knew that four hundred sixty nine full moons had gone by.

"Oh, I didn't know you counted by moons, what a very unique thing. When exactly is that?"

I stopped and thought, "I don't actually know." I said, I dropped my head down and stared at the floor for a moment.

"Alright then… so Nicole," Sarah shifted her head towards Mrs. Penatory. "Should we begin discussing our plans for our teaching methods?" I looked back up as they chatted a bit more. I tuned out of the conversation and observed the mannerisms that they constantly showed. Richard Goldt always reached for the side of his head to scratch it, Nicole licked her chapped lips continuously, and Sarah's finger twitched rhythmically on the table. I assumed she was unintentionally tapping her fingers to a song in her mind. As I watched them talk, the minutes flew by without my acknowledgement, more teachers started to arrive. The staff were beginning to collaborate or chat about students. I decided to speak, I stood up from my chair.

"Good afternoon, staff." I paused and dropped my head slightly. "I apparently have some very troubling news, the school district is experiencing many funding problems for our schools." The spirit in the room dropped, I pursed my lips. "The most I can cut from our system is some electives, although by staff vote." I said.

"Let's begin then." Mrs. Reed said as I sat back down. For each department at least one elective was voted out. It was hard to know communities were ready to fall apart due to bankruptcy and teachers about to lose their jobs. Each time someone rose their hand, I shook my head. After writing down each voted electives, I stood up.

"It is a major disappointment to watch enjoyable electives disappear, but the district is coming to a confirmed decision at the end of the semester." I sighed. "If I have any notable information, I will inform you all." I nodded, picked up my papers, and tapped them on the table into a neat stack. Everyone took that as an ending signal and began to pack up. I opened the door for the staff and waited until they left, afterwards I followed behind. I quickly went to my office in the other block to collect my bag and lock the door. As I was leaving the school, I passed through the halls where the detention center was, I could hear voices coming from the room.

"Oh my god, Ms. Santos is really bitchy, I think she picks on me just because I fought Diana. The only reason I socked her was 'cause she called me a slut." A voice rang out from the room, it sounded familiar like the girl that I sent to detention for swearing at a staff member, Nevaeh Williams.

"I heard she's a robot, she's emotionless. I don't think she has feelings." A boy added. I heavily sighed, although I promised myself not to let any comments affect me, it was very hard not to reflect on them. I saw five students, sitting on the desks or turned-around chairs. They were laughing until they saw me walk by. I looked straight forward and avoided their stares. I was only going to focus on getting home.

I remember Harry taking me on the freeway for the first time, I was so frightened that we were going to die. I understand that it's funny now as I reflect on it more than it was when I was actually there. Holding on to his arm as tightly as I could was all I could remember, my eyes were red and sore from trying to close them. I never saw the road until we got to the wildlife sanctuary in Currumbin. When he brought me inside the building, I saw animals that the pod have probably never imagined in their lives. I would have gone to the pod and told everyone about the new animals I learned about. I never got the chance to tell anyone until it was too late after they banished me.

"Asshole! You cut me off!" I yelled, I was about to go until a woman cut me off. I had to wait for the light to turn green again. I wanted to break her car down, but the more I thought about doing it the more I lifted my hand and twisted it. The woman's car started to slow down, it took me a moment to realize that this wasn't right. I lowered my hand as the woman sped away, I usually don't act in anger. I'm mostly patient but this time I felt something wasn't holding me back, something was missing. I shrugged off my suspicions and continued to drive.

I turned on to my street and pulled up to the hill on which I lived. I walked up the steep incline, although supported with stairs, and to the gate that was all too familiar. The door was the last obstacle to finishing the trip home, I sighed at the knowledge of Harry's hard work put into the building of this 'castle.' Harry bought the lot when we were dating, I didn't know that he did until he brought me to see the place when it was half complete. By the time we were engaged, the house was already finished. When he passed away, the house was handed over to me, his family didn't know what to do with it when it's four hours away from them.

I opened the door and ascended up the stairs. I threw my bag onto the kitchen island and slipped off my heels. I looked at the clock on the wall, I had about an hour to get ready for Mitch when he arrived at seven. I stood still for a minute to think and in an instant I went to my bedroom. To my right was my walk-in closet, I turned on the light to expose all my clothes and a extravagantly decorated, wooden chest with gold markings. I slowly approached it and opened it, dropping dust behind it as well as revealing my old collection of dresses. I pulled out dozens of beautiful sparkling gowns, but a dark red dress caught my eye, I held it up in front of me and studied how elegant it looked. I folded the other dress and placed them back in the chest. I found my almost-ancient vanity in the corner and I placed the dress on the back of the seat. After I sat down, I decided that it was the perfect time to open the box of makeup that I stored in its drawer. I lifted the lid and lightly brushed on some gold eyeshadow. I put on a light red color of lipstick and closed the box. I stood up from the chair and put on the dress. I found a pair of black heels under a few coats and a black handbag with shells sewn into the fabric.

The half empty bottle of lily oil perfume was one of the last finishing touches. I slipped on the shoes and gracefully walked out of the bathroom, I hadn't ever worn the shoes in my life. I bought them while in mind that I would wear them on Harry and I's honeymoon in Italy; apparently, I never did. I passed by the mirror pressed up against the wall adjacent to my bed. I stood in front of it, shifting my body to the side, making sure every inch from top to bottom was okay. I found my purse lying on the bed, I transferred only the necessary things I needed into the small handbag. I smiled with a nod, walked into the hallway only to see Mimmi and Sirena set down some shopping bags on my kitchen counter.

"Oh. Hi, Rita!" Sirena gleefully said. I approached the two and smiled. Mimmi sat down on one of the stool.

"Rita, you look great." Mimmi looked me up and down.

"Thank you… So what did you girls do today?" I asked, they faced each other for a moment. Mimmi nodded at Sirena, hinting her to speak.

"We went to the pod, Aquata just became a mermaid school teacher and Ondina is the assistant." She giggled. "We got the impression she didn't really enjoy it." Mimmi adjusted on the seat and faced me.

"We also went shopping since I got paid on Wednesday." Mimmi smiled.

"Oh yeah!" Sirena turned around and pulled out a floral patterned dress from a pink bag. She held it against her body to show me.

"It's lovely, I know you always find the most wonderful outfits." I said to her.

"Thanks." She grinned from ear to ear, just as I always found pleasure in her bright smiles. "Anyway, Rita why are you so dress up? What kind of date are you going on with Dr. Ross?"

"Oh, Mitch… it's our one year anniversary of being boyfriend and girlfriend." I paused. "Although, strangely I have no clue where he's taking me for dinner, I must have forgotten where he said it was going to be." I pursed my lips, Mimmi tilted her head in response. As I opened my mouth to speak, the doorbell rang. "Oh, that'll be him!" I grinned. I made my way down two steps before I turned around. "Try not to get into trouble, but if you do, call me." They nodded. "Alright, be safe." I descended down the rest of the stairs and opened the door.

"Hello, beautiful." Mitch said, he kissed me on the cheek. As he leaned over, I heard a crunching of tissue paper. "What's that?" I asked. He stood upright and pulled a gift bag from behind his back.

"Here," He handed me the gift with a smile, I reached inside and felt a cold shape. I pulled it out with one hand.

"Oh. Um, it's a...mermaid." I nervously chuckled as I held the small, blue, glass mermaid sculpture in my hands.

"Is it okay? If you don't like it, I can always get you something else." He asked with concern.

"No! No, it's lovely. Thank you." I reached to kiss him on the cheek. "I'll put it on the kitchen table." I rushed back up the stairs and placed the bag and gift on the kitchen counter. Mimmi and Sirena, still in the same place, exchanged whispers. I went back to Mitch and looked up at him.

"I have a plan for where we're going for dinner." He grinned.

"So I'm not forgetful after all, I thought I'd forgotten what you said." I laughed.

"Shall we go?" He asked followed by him reaching out his arm. With the response of my hand curling around his bicep, I heard a rhythm of footsteps from the top of the stairs. I looked up and saw Mimmi and Sirena wave. "Bye, girls."

We walked down the hill to his parked car. We got in his car and drove to down the road as the sunset brushed against the world, giving everything an orange tint. I laid my head on the side of the window and felt the vibrations of the car engine. I felt the warm sun touch my face as if it kissed me goodbye.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Hi, I'm back, I've been hovering above you in spirit, giggling waiting for your reaction to every little nasty, uncomfortable detail. Nah, but I just want to ramble now about how I've spent so much of my time, in which I could have been doing something with my life, just typing and deleting and acting out BUT MOSTLY deleting. (I put acting out, didn't I? crap.) So where do I start, oh yeah. I'll just put all the shitty plots that have come out of the glop in my skull down below. Most of these shitty ideas come from holding in farts. Don't hold in your farts, kids, 'cause that's how stupid people are born! (Oh my fucking god, that was a horrible joke. I probably offended so many people just now.) ANywAy…

Copy and Paste.

WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK PLOTS

Rita and Mitch start off the story with the first date which is rita and mitch have to drive to his house after the reservations for the restaurant get messed up, rita takes off her nice coat and mitch cooks a nice salmon dinner and they sit at the small table, Mitch also has a small apartment just because he had to move there because of the marine park job which he will explain to ritabecause YOU CAN NOT HAVE A SMALL APARTMENT IF YOU ARE RICH AF and mitch smiles and asks if she wants to play a game she's like WTF OK and mitch explains, "answer small funny question and relate stories to them" he starts asking about her childhood, "what was the funniest thing you ever did to a friend when you were a kid?" Rita thinks about it for a while and comes up with "I remember swimming on the reef with my friend and I picked up a crab and it pinch her... foot. We surfaced and I started laughing and she was splashing me. I remember it like it was yesterday." Mitch smiles as rita giggles. Rita then asks Mitch about what he did near the ocean as a kid. Mitch tells her that he would go to the beach with his parents and he would pick up small sea snails, shells, and crabs and take them home to study them. Rita frowns and doesn't like how he took them home, they belong in the wild. Mitch looks at rita and senses that he said something wrong. Rita asks if her ever put them back, Mitch says no. Rita is like, "ok then." Mitch then asks why she never goes near the water anymore and that she always avoids when he asks her about going to the beach and she is like, "I just don't like the water, I'll go on the sand just not in the water, I was in an accident, I got swept out one day and it scared me so I've been afraid ever since." Mitch is concerned and rita explains to the reader that she just uses that excuse for everything. "Tell you what… we'll go to the beach this weekend near your house and we'll face the waves together." Rita freaks and is like, "mitch another time ok?" He agrees, he asks if they want to watch a movie, he says he tiramisu in the fridge, he takes it out and rita is like ok, she tries it she likes it and she sits on his couch and mitch comes with the plate of cake and she asks what they're going to watch , then OH OH OH THERE'S ONE PARAGRAPH WHERE IT"S IN HIS PERSPECTIVE! He says that he might put on a scary movie because he read that the girl is going to cuddle up next to you because they are scared. But when he shows her the movie she's all like WTF IS THAT? and he's like okaaaaayyyyy…. she's never heard of this so um wtf do i do? So he picks out a romance movie from the states, AGE OF ADALINE cause you know stuff, it just came out on freaking dvd. and Rita likes the movie and connects with it,can't tell a secret… awwwww. and then she listens to quotes from the movie and you get a sense about what it is. Rita starts to tear up in the car chase scene where adaline is crying and running away because she's exposed and Mitch asks why rita is cry and rita says she isn't crying and Mitch wraps his arms around her. They cuddle closer AWWWW and after the movie they're sitting on the couch. Mitch looks at rita and they gaze into each other's eyes, they're looking up and down at each other because rita is like cuddled up next to him rita says, "Mitch if I ever needed you to trust me, would you?" or something romantic like that. "Now why would you say something like that? I trust you already, anything you say, I put faith into. I already trust you with my love, is there anymore to ask?" AWWW something like that. THAT QUOTE IS F-ING BEAUTIFUL ANyway Mitch and rita kiss and then it become a long kiss THEN IT BECOMES MIMMI AND CHRIS TYPEKISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGG and then rita's LOVE POTION is activated. (NEED TO DELETE ENTIRE BEDROOM SCENE TO ON THE F-ING FLOOR/COUCH. EVIL LAUGH* BAHHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA) Scene cuts to morning, on the floor the small couch throw on the floor and Mitch sleeping next to her. Oh…..(rita's reaction) SHIT. SHe tries to get up and puts her hand on the coffee table but sticks her hand in cake from last night and she \'s like "oh crap." and she turns into a mermaid and she falls back onto the ground on her face. ABHAAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAAHAA and like mitch hears the thud and wakes up and turns around but rita is in her invisibility and hides. "Rita?" MItch stands up as he puts on his clothes. And rita is like EWWWW WTF. And turns her head in the opposite direction. Rita tries to scoot away but then MItch walks and trips over her. ABHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAH and Rita yelps, "OWW!" And mitch falls on his face. and freaks out cause no one is there and he turns around and rita is like trying to scoot away still. MItch is like, "RITA?! WHERE TF ARE YOU?!" And she still tries to scoot away until mitch waves his hand in the spot where he tripped and smacks Rita in the head pounding her head into the floor. He hand is knocked out of her invisibility as her nose starts to bleed from getting knocked into the floor. BHAahbahAAHAHAAHAHAHHA and Rita is like, "OOOOWWW!" And holding her nose. "WTF WAS ThAT FOR?!" out of anger. And Mitch is just, "WTF ARE YOU?! OMG HOLY SHIT!" and rita freaks out and tries to hide again but her head hurts from the nose bleed. So she just lays there and she's like, "mitch remember that trust I asked about, well here's where you can keep your word." And mitch freaks out and is like, "YOU LIED TO ME HOW CAN I TRUST YOU NOW!" and rita just weakly looks up at him, "Mitch, just…. I'll explain."

Main points Rita and Mitch Ross become a mother and father unexpectedlyMimmi and Cam get together but Chris returns and Cam and him start fightingNixie and Lyla return and they die in a car crash

Mitch and Rita's story: Rita and Mitch are going to have their one year anniversary at a fancy restaurant in the city, the restaurant has trouble and can't get them a table for like two hours, they leave and go to Mitch's apartment, they have a nice dinner and Mitch offers her some wine, Rita refuses Mitch insists (alcohol makes a mermaid crazy) She wakes up in his bed "bare" while he is still sleeping, she sorta pets his hair like Poseidon is there but she feels his face, she freaks out and paces across the room, she sees her clothes on the floor and she goes into the bathroom. Mitch wakes up and calls to Rita, "What are you doing?" "Wishing I could drown myself, but I can't." Mitch walks into the bathroom and finds Rita eyes closed in the water, she was in her tail, she looked like she wasn't breathing, she turned her head towards him and opened her eyes slowly to see Mitch jump. He starts to freak out and ask her like a million questions. She leans her head against the back of the wall. "Mitch what did we do last night?" (Last verse)

Rita's story: She starts to get small sharp pains in her stomach and head during meetings and stuff. She shrugs them off for about half a month, (potion thing hasn't been resolved, still ages as if a regular 32 year old) she then gets a large pain in her side and runs to the bathroom only to throw up in the toilet bowl. She unbuttons her shirt and only exposes her white bra. She gets up, has a small panic about if she's pregnant, because she has heard of it but never thought that a mermaid could ever get pregnant and she starts to doubt it. She gets herself fixed backup and doesn't tell Mitch or anybody about it and goes to the drugstore in a thin coat with a hood. She sneaks into the aisle with pregnancy tests and pulls one off of the shelf. A staff member walks by and sees a glimpse of Rita's face. Rita starts to rush a little, pick up her pace, and pay for it and try to get out of there as fast as she could. Rita hopes that the staff member saw nothing.

AUTHOR'S NOTE (RANT) CONTINUATION

Finally... I think I've finished putting all the parts together. It's 4am and I'm playing really relaxing songs so I don't lose my sanity to the silence of night. I'm feeling quite awake for some crappy reason but whatever. Oh, I forgot to mention, this is where I explain what was going on in my head while writing this disturbing story. Where do I start…

1: A year or so after Season 2 came out, (I was obsessed with Rita when Season 1 came out, so it's been since I can remember) I started to imagine Rita and Dr. Ross going on a date. After that it turned into, NAH I'M KIDDING AS FUCK! After watching "Meeting Rita" in Season 1, I always imagined Harry and Rita's damn kid. HAHAHAHH. I'm not those people who gradually works their way from idea to idea, I jump straight into VERY odd things. Don't get me started on Miss Raine from Dance Academy. Just don't. EVER. It will never end. So I've had pregnant Rita in the back of my mind since Season 1. I just needed someone NOT DEAD to be the father. (:Y) SOOO that's when Jonathan M. Shiff decides to throw a random episode in there where Rita gets one shot at a love life with this handsome man. In Season 3, SPOILERS AHEAD, Jon just decides to never touch the subject again and that pisses me off BIG TIME. Instead at a shot at love life, Jon makes Rita QUIT HER DAMN PRINCIPAL JOB and be a free FISH HOBO. Also in addition to that, she takes a cup of tea on accident and turns into a FREAKIN' ELDERLY AMNESIA-OTIC (that's not even a word, that's how pissed I am) BOZO! #&E(! $&! ! Yeah, Dr. Ross didn't even see Rita ever in the new season. I cried, I was so ready for this season, but they left so many damn questions. NOT JUST with the plot but WITH MY SHIP, MY BEAUTIFUL SHIP! Fuck it, I'm just going to get myself a life now.

2: OK HOLY SHIT. So Before this entire one pager used to only be two versions, I just found my computer's trash and I found the very first copy that I transferred over to Quotev, the first fanfic website I knew. When I was on Quotev, I thought lots of people were on it, hahaha, I was so naive. That website gets NOBODY. So I was such a newbie to writing stuff and stories, I didn't know how to just think like Rita, I only saw Rita as a character, I didn't know how to be absolutely obsessed with Rita and Kerith, I know how to step into her shoes and act like her. I treat her and her character so differently now. So the first version you see was what I produced from seven nights of winter break. OMG, a post-panic of laying all over Mitch was going to have a hangover, I thankfully scrapped the idea.

3: Version 2, I was planning to make Rita younger with a potion, but it was too much considering there was already an episode of her acting young. I can't just recycle that same potion, the girls would obviously not even try to touch the same ingredients that they used for that lotion. Chapter 2 was just full of random crap just to fill up the time gap of getting to third period. There was no significance to wasting your time with Rita messing with teenagers and being having bitchy Trumble be basically BITCHY to Rita. Chapter 3… yeah. This was suppose to get Rita to try to fix the potion, make it worse and create another spell, the love potion. I don't know why I needed another potion for her, I didn't know if 44 year olds could still get laid. (HAHAHA my innocent mind, where did it go….) That would make Rita go "googoo?" over Mitch and eventually make their children. (Oh my god, seeeee, I put too much effort into this shit, you better not put any dumb crap in my comments…) I gave her super hearing, so I could write a scene where she hazily walks out of a classroom. I'M SO sorry I wasted everyone's time with unnecessary events that make no difference to the plot. OH SHIT, it's 5am. Um… long story short, I had to rewrite a lot of snippets and most of the time I could have used writing, I used editing and making each snippet perfect. TOTAL WASTE OF TIME. Oh, with the birth scene confusion, I wrote the post labor scene after listening (don't ask) to my teacher talk about how she went through 36 hours of labor (uncommon cases) before having her son so I had to rethink making Rita have her kids in an hour. I was going to carry the worsening of contractions over the course of a day, eventually having her children in the early hours of the morning. Evie and Zac were going to show up through the Grotto that afternoon to say hi and congrats.

4: OH OH OH! I tried to write book 2 before I barely started writing book 1. Lyla was going to die and fuck, here's the damn plot line.

Chris and Cam start fighting for the hand of Mimmi. Cam starts fighting Chris but then Lyla and Nixie come back, they are in the car with Rita and Sirena. Going to dinner and they get in a side collision. Lyla dies 13 hours after from bleeding out. Nixie gets hurt badly, Sirena is ok but bruised and helps de mermaids away from the car crash scene and helps them go back to Rita's house. Zac, Cam, David come after Sirena calls them to come help on Rita's phone, Rita is still awake but barely and is going to fall asleep and she hears Sirena on phone whimpering and crying. RIta is flung upside down while Lyla is dying, and Nixie is passed out. Rita is out on the floor. She almost passes out but she hears the boys and they pick her up and sit her in a different car. She sees lyla and nixie in the back of the car and zac is driving and she passes out. Sirena, Cam, and David are going to solve the car accident problem and lie and Sirena was in the front, Cam and David were in the back and they were fine.

Ok, I'm so sorry this had to come to you in such a crazy one pager, I mean, it wasn't that bad, confusing but you see my idea. I just wish that everything I see in my head could just turn into words or a little movie outside of my skull. I can't just get Kerith Atkinson and Paul Bishop to reenact the crap going on in my brain, it would be very awkward. VERY. Alright, I love you all.

Don't be tainted like I am, kids (even though I'm probably like the same age) FIND YOURSELF A LIFE, KIDS!

Peace,

MB

Dear Reader/s,

A request given by one of you suggested that I put my crazy, hectic collection of snippets together. I finally got fed up with the war between summer laziness and my motivation to do random shit at the most awkward time span of 2-4am. I kept putting "fix fanfic" on every to do list of each day since the day I stopped getting homework. If you're a new reader, GOOD FREAKIN' LUCK. Before Season 3 of Mako RUINED ALL of my hopes of the love story between Ross and Rita, I wrote this fanfic of them having the last shot at having kids and getting married. I did so much goddamn research at 6am before school about "what are the odds of a 44 year old having children in one go?" (No, I didn't actually Google that, but I researched everything about Rita and Kerith) I hope this story haunts your subconscious so I can get talk about it and how it's the weird side of the internet. (I'm just the border of the "weird side" you've probably seen my profile on the MM Instagram Fandom.) ROSSSITAAAA! (Yeah, you know me.) OK, HOLY SHIT, I should just shut the fuck up and do an author's note.

BUHAHAAAH enjoy :)

Original Version (4am winter break writes):

Rita and Dr. Mitch Ross. The school is staring at her... Waking up in his bed hungover… Mermaid, merman, or human? This is a story you don't want to miss. (Rated M, strong language and mature content).

This is a story about Rita and Mitch. I totally shipped it, sadly it was short-lived. (Harry is Rita's long-dead fiance {refresher} and I found Mitch's name in H20 on his name tag) Okay, Enjoy! :)

 **CHAPTER 1**

It's been a month since the pod has come back, I'm glad that the girls can see everyone again. I'm proud of them for trying so hard to bring them back. The Mermaid Council has allowed me to return, but I turned the offer down. My life is on land now, besides I have been on a few dates with Mitch. He is so sweet, but I'm still embarrassed by what I did while I was under the girls' potion, that was basically my first impression. I don't remember but they told me that I acted like a ten year old, I must have been ridiculous. I think we both are interested in each other, but I feel awkward when I'm around him. He makes me feel like when Harry was around. I don't think I'll tell Mitch about Harry, it's just very awkward. I think I'll keep it until the time is right, I _do_ want to be with him.

All I can think of was last night. Mitch called me on the phone, he asked me if I wanted to go to dinner in the evening with him in the city. I couldn't turn him down at all, I love seeing him. I know that if I go I could risk getting wet but I've had a lot of experience, what could go wrong. I walked into the Grotto and I was greeted by the girls making something with a few crushed shells on my spell table.

"Good morning, girls! Looks like you have been busy, what are you making?" I asked Mimmi and Sirena.

"We're experimenting based on some potion recipes with some things we found on the reef last week." Sirena answered. She broke a small piece of coral in half and placed it in a bowl.

"I'm going for a swim, it's still early morning, I have time." I told them, I smiled. They looked at each other in confusion, they started to giggled.

"You're in a good mood. Are you going on a date with Dr. Ross?" Mimmi asked.

"What's wrong with that? Well... he did ask me to dinner." I looked down at my hands blushing.

"Actually, Rita, that's good!" Don't worry we'll clean up when we're done. Now go have fun." Sirena smiled at me. "Oh, and by the way, Ondina is at the Moon Pool, she decided to sleep in."

"Ok, then I'll avoid her while she's grumpy." I headed up the steps to the tunnel entrance. "Bye, girls."

"Bye, Rita!" Sirena and Mimmi said. Then they went back to what they were doing.

I walked up to the pool, took off my shoes, and dipped my legs in. It felt good to get out of legs, so I swam out onto the reef. I started to think about what I would wear tonight. Then, I remembered the first time Mitch asked me to do something with him. It was the day Mimmi came to the Marine Park with me. When we were walking to fill out some paperwork for the elective class, he asked me if I wanted to go to lunch with him so that we could get to know each other better. I let my guard down and agreed faster than I could think of what possibilities may happen. I felt excited when he asked me. We stared at each other and kept smiling, it was so uncomfortable. From that moment, I knew that I liked Mitch.

I came back from my swim into the entrance. I pulled myself out of the water and dried my tail off. I got up from the ground and went back into the Grotto to get my work bag. It was behind the spell table, I assumed that the girls weren't done with their potion and went to gather more ingredients. I was trying to be smart about avoiding the mixture from being messed up so I bent under the table to grab my bag. I pulled the handles of the bag, but I hit my head on the table. I hoped that nothing happened, but I was wrong, the glass bottle with purple liquid tipped over and started to drip on my arm. I quickly stood back up and put the bottle back where it was. I saw the purple liquid on my arm, so I tried to rub it off as much as I could. I hoped that nothing bad would happen to me. I slung my bag onto my arm and rushed out of the Grotto to work. I started to wonder why it didn't make me fall into my tail. That worried me into thinking that something happened when it dripped on me. I wished that it wouldn't effect my date.

 **CHAPTER 2**

I was walking to my office, when Tina walked down the hall. Tina was amazing in her interview, I could tell she wanted this job very much. She professionally dressed up each day, pulling her hair into a ponytail, and completing her confident look with faux diamond covered, black flats.

"Good Morning, Principal Santos," She brushed her brown, wavy bangs out of her face. I could tell she was a little nervous. She was holding a clipboard and a pen.

"Good Morning, Miss Bailey," I replied.

"Um... I wondering... uh, the swim team would like... if you could coach for today's practice," She stuttered. "if that's ok with you."

"Miss Bailey, I'm sorry but I'm a little busy today, maybe I can help another time?" I gave her a disappointed look.

"I thought it would come to this," I heard Tina mumble under her breath. I unlocked my door and look at her confused.

"the swim team actually has no choice on a substitute today while Coach Norris is sick." She continued.

"Can the team call in a staff member by the end of the day?" I asked, hoping that I could get around the situation.

"All the available substitutes are needed in different classes and I am tutoring students in math classes." She explained, I knew I had no other choice but have to go near that pool today.

"Ok, Miss Bailey, I'll fill in for Mr. Norris." I smiled at her. I silently sighed, this spelled trouble.

"Oh! Thank you, Principal Santos. I will tell the swim team." She nodded. I walked into my office and sorted the new papers on my desk. Today was going to be long.

I had just finished up a parent conference five minutes before the last bell of the day rang. I knew I had twenty minutes before I had to go to the swim practice. I had a feeling that I was going to have some sort of trouble during all of it. I put some paperwork into my bag and walked out of my office. I turned around and put the keys into the lock but I stopped. I let go of the keys and stepped back from the door, I felt my back hit the wall behind me. I stared at the keys as they swayed. I felt weak and tired, so I started to slide down the wall onto my knees. I kept staring at the keys as they moved slower and slower. I sat down and I tilted my head, my eyes felt no urge to stay open. I started to feel powerless over motion, then I fell into a paralyzed sleep.

I opened my eyes, it felt like I must have been unconscious for eternity. I was sitting down with my back against the wall and my legs straight out and on top of each other in front of me. I realized that I felt energized and fully awake. I got up still unstable but functional. I locked the office door and grabbed my bag off of the floor. I thought I would be late for the practice so I looked at my watch. I must've wasted at least ten to fifteen minutes asleep. Strangely, I still had nineteen minutes to get ready for it. I was scared by the thought of why I passed out on the floor in front of my office. I couldn't place my mind on why for some reason, I knew that I had a possible reason but I couldn't remember it. I decided to resolve the issue after the swim practice, so I cleared my mind and focused on my main priority. I walked down the office hall and out to the courtyard halls. I saw Mrs. Trumble and I didn't want to deal with her so I pulled out a binder in my bag and buried my face in it. I hoped that she would pass by without acknowledging me, but of course I was wrong and she stopped.

"Principal Santos." She gave me a fake smile. I rolled my eyes and closed the binder in my hands.

"Hello, Mrs. Trumble." I looked at her and gave her a fake grin in exchange. When she looked at me, her face looked as if she had just seen a ghost. Her stiff posture dropped and she backed away from me slowly.

"Mrs. Trumble, you were saying," I tried to catch her eye and I looked at her like she was going crazy.

"Principal Santos, I don't know what kind of formula you have used but you are looking very different." She kept looking at me in disbelief. "Were you using any sort of rejuvenating face cream or treatment something over the break?"

"Are you joking with me?" I looked at her, shaking me head.

"No, actually, I am so sorry for all the times I had be extremely rude to you." Mrs. Trumble was starting to spook me. "What's your secret?" She asked me as she observed my face. I kept shaking me head, all I could think was that she was kidding.

"Mrs. Trumble, if you have nothing important to discuss, will you excuse me." I walked around her. I had no idea what she was talking about, but the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to see my face. I looked behind me and she was still standing there, looking puzzled. That scared me so I rushed to the swimming pool. I hoped that there would be some kind of glass so I could see my reflection. I decided that I would try to find a mirror or glass along the way, but I kept being crowded by students. I looked at my watch, I only had six minutes to get there. I somehow manage to get myself on the other side of the school. I couldn't run in these shoes so I pulled off my heels and ran across campus, I had no idea why I took off my shoes because I could have stepped in water. Also, I thought it was odd that I didn't care what anyone thought of me running barefoot. I had a familiar moment when I was younger, I remember running away from Harry without saying goodbye on one of our dates. I took off my high heels and ran to the beach, I knew that I had very little time to get back to Mako Island before the pod would find out that I had been gone. I felt as if this was usual for me to run, but I was in a time crunch and I had to be at that practice.

 **CHAPTER 3**

I made it to the swimming pool just as the team was getting ready. The team looked at me as I slipped my heels back on. They all gave me the same puzzled face, just as Mrs. Trumble did. The pressure of staring eyes got to me, and I cracked. I walked up to Thomas Dimhaul.

"Thomas, why is everyone staring at my face, what's wrong with it?" I asked calmly. Thomas looked scared to answer me. I probably wasn't going to get a straight answer.

"No, nothing... Ms. Santos. You...you look ok." He stuttered. I let out a frustrated sigh. I asked him a simple question and I got a useless answer that didn't even make sense.

"Thank you, Thomas." I blew steam from my nose in frustration, I smiled at him and walked away. I reached in my bag for my whistle and I sat it on the bench.

"Good Afternoon, Miss Bailey most likely informed you that I would be filling in for Mr. Norris. So, I am going to start you off with a small exercise." I raised my voice. I noticed that some of them were whispering, I was starting to get annoyed by how awkward this all was. "Let's start by doing laps ." I blew the whistle and set the timer. I couldn't wait until this was all over, I needed to see my face.

After an hour of swimming practice, I blew the whistle, I felt relieved that nothing wrong happened.

"Ok, good work everybody! You will be seeing Coach Norris tomorrow." I decided to be patient and wait until everyone was gone. I walked to the bench and picked up my bag. I turned around and I saw Thomas rapped up in a towel, he started to walk towards me.

"Principal Santos, um... would I get in trouble if I told you honestly. It's about... about your face." He looked at me nervously.

"No, Thomas. It would really be helpful though." I told him. I smiled, I finally could get an answer.

"You look younger and like someone at this school, like a student or something. It's really creepy, like you're in old people clothes but you look too young." He stared at my clothes and scratched his head.

"Oh... thank you, Thomas." * _Really. (T_T)_ * I disappointedly look at him and gestured for him to go back inside. I forgot about the water situation very quickly, I had to see my face now. I picked up my pace alongside the pool but in the corner of my eye I could see the puddles of water glistening on the edge. I was glad that I wasn't stepping on them. Just as I thought about it, my heel slipped, I tried to keep my balance but it was too late, I slide across the ground. I threw my bag and it fell onto ledge, I fell into the pool. My ignorance got the best of me, I transformed into my tail ten seconds after hitting the water. I swam back up to the surface and looked around. I didn't see anyone around so I swam back down into the water. I sat at the bottom of the pool and let my mind process all the things that happened. I sat there for a while until I realized that this was nothing and I have been through worse than this so I swam up to the pool ledge. I threw myself onto the side and I dried my tail off. All of this must have taken ten minutes of my time. I stood up, but I felt a sudden urge to cry. I was getting confused by all these emotions, so I grabbed my bag off of the floor and _walked_ to the nearest staff's bathroom. I saw a sign on the door that said, " _closed for repair."_ "This day just got utterly horrible!" I mumbled to myself.I threw my arms up in frustration and ran up to an awards shelf.

"Finally!" I looked at my face in the reflection. _My eyes, my lips, my nose, my cheeks._ All my wrinkles near my eyes and forehead were gone, all my indents in my neck and cheeks have seemed to disappear. How could I not notice my hands?! They were smooth and perfect. I looked like I was in my late twenties. I was so disturbed by my appearance that I screamed. I kept touching my face and wondering if I really was dreaming all of it. I turned around and was faced by the astronomy club, they jump back from me and rushed down the hall. I was so scared about this but still so fascinated by my sudden age phenomenon. I excitedly rushed back home

Second Version:

Chapter 1

It's been a year since the pod has come back, I'm glad that the girls can see everyone again. I'm proud of them for trying so hard to bring them back. The Mermaid Council has allowed me to return, but I turned the offer down. My life is on land now, besides I've been with Mitch, the sweetest boyfriend I could ever have. I remember when we first met, we were suppose to be professional about our meeting to discuss the marine biology elective but I couldn't help but blush and stare at him. We couldn't stop smiling at each other, we both felt this _spark._ You know that kind of spark between two people when they first lay eyes on each other and you feel this connection even though you haven't spoken a word to them yet? A spark that you can't actually describe but you know what it feels like. I see him all the time and we date but I still feel awkward around him since I haven't told him about Harry or that I'm a fish.

It's our one year anniversary and Mitch called me last night. He made reservations at a restaurant in the city, I couldn't wait. I walked down into the Grotto and was greeted by the girls making something with a few crushed shells on my spell table.

"Good morning, girls! Looks like you've been busy, what are you making?" I asked Mimmi and Sirena.

"We're experimenting based on some potion recipes with some things we found on the reef last week." Sirena answered. She broke a small piece of coral in half and placed it in a wooden bowl.

"I'm going for a swim, it's still early morning and I have time." I told them, I smiled. They looked at each other in confusion, they started to giggled.

"You're in a good mood. Are you going on a date with Dr. Ross again?" Mimmi asked.

"Not just a date, but our one year anniversary." I looked down at my hands blushing.

"Really? Time really does fly on land just as sea. Don't worry we'll clean up when we're done. Now go have fun!" Sirena smiled at me. "Oh, and by the way, Ondina is out on the reef hanging out with her old friends in the pod."

"Well, she does have a lot of catching up to do." I joked, I headed up the steps to the tunnel entrance. "Bye, girls."

"Bye, Rita!" Sirena and Mimmi said. Then they went back to making their potion.

I walked up to the pool, took off my shoes, and dipped my legs in. It felt relieving to get out of them and I swam out onto the reef. I started to think about what I would wear that night. Then, I remembered the first time Mitch asked me to do something with him.

It was early morning and Mitch was still 'Dr. Ross' to me. We were in my office signing papers for the elective.

"Ms. Santos, I wanted to bring up a question for a while," Dr. Ross started.

"The elective class is going to be a success, thank you for doing this, Dr. Ross." I un-intentionally avoided what he was going to say. He grinned, trying to hint me of his question."Oh! Oh... what was it that you wanted to ask me?" I asked. I looked down at the papers and back up at him.

"Yes, but I wanted to ask you if you would like to discuss things over lunch." He nervously smiled.

"About the elective?" I asked, unaware that I was being ignorant about the conclusion that he liked me.

"Yeah, about that," He paused. "I want to get to know you better, and not just about the elective." He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Are- are you asking me... on a date?" I questioned, I suddenly felt myself blush.

"Yes, if you're interested." He blushed intensively.

"Oh, I'd love to go!" I blurted out, I looked down stunned at the sudden reaction.

"I'm Mitch, by the way."

"Call me Rita."

I felt excited when he asked me, I forgot about my distant profile that I wanted to maintain, but I couldn't help it. We stared at each other and kept smiling, it was remarkably uncomfortable. From that moment, I knew I couldn't resist him even if I tried.

I came back from my swim into the entrance. I pulled myself out of the water and dried my tail off. I got up from the ground and went back into the Grotto to get my work bag. It was behind the spell table, I assumed that the girls weren't done with their potion and went to gather more ingredients. I was trying to be clever about avoiding the mixture from being messed up so I bent under the table to grab my bag. I pulled the handles of the bag but I hit my head on the table. I hoped that nothing happened, but I was wrong. The purple liquid filled, glass bottle on the table surface tipped over and started to drip on my arm. I quickly stood back up and put the bottle back where it was. I saw the purple mixture on my arm, so I tried to rub it off as much as I could. I assumed that nothing bad would happen to me. I slung my bag onto my arm and rushed out of the Grotto to work. I started to wonder why it didn't make me transform into my tail. That worried me into thinking that something happened when it dripped on me. I hoped that it wouldn't effect my date.

* * *

Chapter 2

I saw Tina scrambling across the hall as I was walking to my office. Tina was amazing in her interview, I could tell she wanted this job very much. She professionally dressed up each day, pulling her hair back, and completing her confident look with black, faux diamond covered flats.

"Good Morning, Principal Santos," She brushed her brown, wavy bangs out of her face. I could tell she was a little nervous. She was holding a clipboard and a pen.

"Good Morning, Miss Bailey," I replied.

"Um... I wondering... uh, the science class in block six actually needs a substitute... maybe, you could fill in just for one class?" She stuttered. "If that's okay with you."

"Miss Bailey, I'm sorry but I'm a little busy today," I gave her a disappointed look. "but I can next time."

"I thought it would come to this," I heard Tina mumble under her breath. I unlocked my door and turned to look at her.

"The science department doesn't have any other choice since Mrs. Baker left sick with a horrible cold." She continued. "They only need you for the third class since the substitute has a meeting to go to before third period."

"Can the department call in a staff member at break?" I asked, hoping that I could get around the situation. I didn't know why I wanted to not teach, I usually loved to see students get involved in their education. If it involved a large amount of water, I would have tried to avoid it, but this was nothing compared to that.

"There are no available substitutes at such short notice and I'm teaching my first marine biology class today." She explained, I knew I had no other choice but have to go.

"Okay, Miss Bailey, I'll fill in for Mrs. Baker." I smiled at her. I sighed, I didn't know the cause of this rebellion feel.

"Oh! Thank you, Principal Santos. I will tell the science department." She nodded.

I had just finished up a parent conference five minutes before the last bell of first period rang. I started to feel a slight headache, but I ignored it the best I could. As if by instinct, I had a feeling that I was going to have some sort of trouble during that class. I put some paperwork into my bag and walked out of my office. I turned around and put the keys into the lock but I stopped. I let go of the keys and stepped back from the door, I felt my back hit the wall behind me. I stared at the keys as they swayed. I felt weak and tired, so I started to slide down the wall onto my knees. I kept staring at the keys as they moved slower and slower. I sat down and I tilted my head, my eyes felt no urge to stay open. I started to feel powerless over motion, then I fell into a paralyzed sleep.

I opened my eyes, it felt like I must have been unconscious for eternity. I was sitting down with my back against the wall and my legs straight out and on top of each other in front of me. I realized that I felt energized and fully awake. I got up still unstable but functional, I pulled the keys out of the door lock and grabbed my bag off of the floor. I thought I would be late for second period so I looked at my watch. I must've wasted at least ten to fifteen minutes asleep, strangely, I had only wasted two minutes. I was scared by the thought of why I passed out on the floor in front of my office. I didn't know if it was mermaid-related or not. I decided to resume on the issue after I finished up my main task on hand. I walked down the hall and noticed that the pool wasn't being used. I felt an urge to swim, I looked around, no one was really paying attention to me so I snuck through the staff-only halls.

I made it to the pool area, I placed my bag under the bleachers and pulled out all of the clips in my hair. I threw them into the bag and shook my head to let my wavy curls fall onto my shoulders. I took off my heels and sat them out of sight next to my bag. I dived into the pool, embracing the cool water hitting my skin. My legs fused together into my tail. I swam to the surface and floated on my back. I stared at the cloud-filled, blue sky, and swayed my arms through the water. I had no idea why I wanted to go for a swim, I didn't care about the risks. I didn't care about where I was swimming. Sure, I maybe had a few small responsibilities throughout second period but I could handle it after school. I closed my eyes until I heard footsteps, I opened my eyes and swam down to the bottom of the pool.

"Here, we have the swimming pool area. This is where the school swim team practices each day." I heard a man say. I hid myself and peeked my eyes through the water. I watched as he guided young, incoming students.

"Mr. Davin, where can we sign up for clubs?" A student asked.

"Good question, Henry. We will discuss that on our way to the club signing area." Mr. Davin replied. I held my breathe and patiently waited for the tour group to leave. I watched as the students followed Mr. Davin outside of the pool area. I was about to climb out until I saw four kids still hanging around the gate. They broke away from the tour group and were chatting. They looked like trouble, one of the kids pointed at the pool and they started to take off their jackets. _Oh_ _no_ _you_ _don't_. I pulled myself up on the ledge and stuck out my hand, still hidden from plain sight. They started to walk towards the pool, I froze the floor as they stepped across the ground. The group stopped and looked around their feet. It was so unnatural that there was ice forming in seventy-seven degree weather.

"Ah! Guys, we have to go, this is weird!" One of the boys with blue streaks in his hair, shrieked looking down.

"Go! Go! Go, before we get in trouble!" The girl in the group threw the leather jackets at the boys.

They all ran outside of the pool gate and I giggled at their faces. I pulled myself out of the pool and dried myself off. I had no idea why I went to the pool. I pondered on my motivation to being unusually ridiculous. _What kind of principal takes a dip into the school swimming pool at second period?_ I picked up my things and straightened out my shirt and dress pants. I rushed to the science classrooms and found the room I was looking for. I waited in the corner, humming a song I learned long ago with the pod. I pulled out the binder in my bag and flipped through the pages. No one seemed to be around so I started to sing quietly as I read the schedule.

 _Crystal clear of ocean waves_

 _Float into our beautiful home of caves_

 _Swim to the deepest blue_

 _Find worlds that you never knew_

 _Watch the stars shine bright_

 _Over the world through the night_

 _Mermaids of our pod-_

"Singing, Ms. Santos," A voice rang out. _Oh, god!_ I jumped and closed the binder. _She heard me singing._ "Isn't going to do anything for this school right now." My long-despised enemy gave me her usual Cheshire Cat-like smile.  
"Mrs. Trumble," I acknowledged her unneeded and unwanted presence. I kept my head low underneath a large wavy lock of my hair. I _was_ relieved that I hadn't come across her all week, my spirits dropped significantly.

"I _still_ am considering grabbing the school board's attention over any foul mistake that can be marked up." She deviously shot at me. I looked up at her, hoping that I would cleverly come up with a smart comeback as soon as I met her eyes with mine. Instead, I met her eyes and she backed away from me.

"Mrs. Trumble, why are you doing that?" I paused. "Do I have something on my face?" I confusedly asked her.

"You-you…Somehow, you-you look _different._ " She stuttered, she studied my face as I raised an eyebrow at her unusual behavior.

"Mrs. Trumble, what? What are you talking about?" I shook my head.

"It's a good different. You must have used something, what kind of face cream did you use?" She asked, as if she was an old friend. "But, if your intentions were to scare me with your eye contacts, it didn't work." Her tone fell.

"What?" I shook my head. "Mrs. Trumble, if you have nothing important, will you excuse me. I have a class to substitute in matter of minutes." I sternly said.

"Fine, but next time I won't let things like this slide, Ms. Santos. I will find out what you're hiding." She walked away in defeat. I rolled my eyes I knew I could handle 'The Mad Trumble,' that made the earth quake under her feet, she wasn't exactly a major threat. I put my binder in my bag and turned around.

* * *

Chapter 3

The bell rang and students walked out of the room. I stepped inside and greeted the substitute that had to leave. He told me that the binder of sub notes are on the desk. I thanked him before he left for his meeting. I opened the binder, not much was in it except for the lesson plan. _I can handle one class. Oh crap, I forgot my tea._ I disappointedly pursed my lips together, I waited through the ten minute break emailing notifications about meetings with the staff on my laptop. I looked up when I saw students walking in as the bell began to ring. I closed my computer, stood up, and faced the board. I wrote the lesson plan down in whiteboard marker.

"Okay, class, I am going to be substituting today." I announced. I turned to face the students with a sweet smile. Although like Mrs. Trumble they all looked startled. I scanned the room and saw Evie sitting in the corner, she raised her eyebrows and made a sort of 'swimming fish' hand gesture. I shrugged and shook my head, "talk later," she mouthed.

"Open your books to chapter forty-six and write down the all the different possible reactions that can take place within those mixtures." I instructed. I wait for everyone to look into their books and I started to stroll slowly around the classroom trying to look unsuspicious until I went towards Evie.

"Evie, what's wrong with me?" I whispered, as I leaned next to her ear.

"Do you want the honest answer or the sugar coated kind?" She asked.

"Evie, I want the honest one, no matter how strange." I answered.

"Okay." Evie sighed. "Your irises are red and purple and you look about ten years younger." She quickly explained. "It's gotta be fishy somehow."

"Evie, why did you have to tell me so harshly?" I asked, as I tried to process it in my mind.

"You did ask for the truth." She quietly giggled.

"So what did happen anyway?" She asked.

"I don't know how it happened, but I did pass out on the floor earlier for no reason, and…" I said, I stopped and thought about the potion that spilt on me that morning.

"And?" Evie asked as I stood straight up.

"Oh no." I looked up with my eyes widened.

"What?" She looked at me, confused.

"Is there a mirror or something with a reflection?" I asked in a panic.

"Yeah, there's a metal tray there." Evie pointed at some shelves.

"Thank you, Evie." I ran to the metal tray and picked it up. I looked at my upside down reflection, my eyes were a red and purple sprouting from my pupil. I didn't see my usual wrinkles on my face and neck, I looked almost perfect. I looked younger, I gasped at myself and accidently dropped the tray. I picked it up and quickly put it back. I turned around only to be faced with nine students off task and staring at me.

"Principal Santos, are you okay?" The student in front of me asked.

"Yes, Thomas, I'm fine. Now everyone, get back to work." I tried to remain calm, I walked back to the desk and sat down in the chair. I tapped my fingers on my lap violently and I didn't know how to react. _Okay, okay, okay...stop. You know how to deal with things like this. Maybe._ I had a sudden thought out of the blue, I always brought my spell book and potion vials. I sat my bag on the table and looked inside. I pulled a vintage leather book out, I flipped through some pages to a chart of eye colors. There were eyes colored with red and yellow, cat-like eyes, and eyes with different color combinations that were unnatural to humans. Each eye drawing had descriptions of the potion or spell that was used. I looked at the section, 'Combinations of Purple.' I went through all of it and couldn't find a match to my situation. I was in disbelief and I kept flipping through it over and over. It took me a minute to realize that it wasn't in there at all. I closed the book and sat there in thought. _If the red and the purple on my eyes mix together maybe I could mix the two potion reversing cures and fix both effects. Although, I will lose my amazing fountain of 'ten-year' youth._ I opened the book back up, purple meant youth and red meant love. _Wait, love?_ I looked back at the red, and it definitely said love. I looked in the back for the spell reversing recipes. I looked around the room and saw most of the ingredients on shelves.

"Ms. Santos, if we are done, do we do the experiment stated in the book?" A student asked me while I was off guard.

"Uh-uh…" I looked in the substitute notes. "Yes, follow the steps on the next page." I replied. He pulled out some lab equipment off of shelves and I scanned the room instinctive, I saw two students whispering to each other and looking at me. I felt embarrassed, even though I was older than them, I still felt socially pressured as a student would. I stood up with the book in my hand and quickly walked around the room gathering unused ingredients.I placed them on the table and set the book down. I found a dusty jar underneath desk on a small shelf. I carefully washed it in a lab sink, not getting myself wet. I started to pinch a little of this and a little of that into it. I knew that if I made a base mixture, I could later on use very small amounts of magic. I mixed the powders together and added four teaspoons of water until I got a soupy white substance. I looked inside my bag and found my potion box. My potion box was the size of my hand. I never left home without it. My motto was, 'You don't always know what's going to happen, so it's better to be prepared.' I opened the box full of small vials, I picked out the one filled with blue haired coral, and I only let four drips fall into the jar as instructed in the recipe. I looked up to see all the students working on experiments, I looked back at the book and flipped the page to the love reversing recipe. I used only one drop of sea sponge oil and mixed it with a spoon. It started to fizz as I put my vials back into my bag. I turned back to the book, I read the last part. _Drink._

"Drink it?" I questioned quietly. I looked up at the students, they were all busy with other things, either chatting or doing work. I would usually scold the chatting groups but I had a bigger problem at stake. I looked back at the book and flipped through the pages, I looked at both potion recipes and they instructed to drink it. I was afraid because I had only combined potions once or twice so I had a little bit of experience with deciding what to do. I gagged at the smell of the mixture, it started to turn black so it would be wise to drink it before it got any worse. I looked around the room and saw a plastic cup in the back that was smaller than the jar. I took it and poured the black liquid into it. I built up my courage, held my breathe while putting my lips on the edge, and tilted my head back. I put the empty cup down on the table and disgustedly gagged. I felt the slimy concoction slide down my throat. I looked up at the class, all of the students were looking at me.

* * *

Chapter 4

Evie shook her head at me in a panic. I tried to hint to her that I was also scared. I didn't stop to think and I blurted out, "Why is no one working?"

All of the students got the message and went back to their assignment. I rushed over to Evie, since she was the only one in the room that could help me.

"What are they thinking now? I don't know exactly what I did and why I did that. I tried to get rid of it!" I quickly spit out.

"Woah, Rita, calm down." She whispered. I looked at her in distress. "What were you trying to do exactly?"

"I was trying to get rid of the potion. I think I spilt... well, it was an accident, an experimental potion or something that the girls were making, on my arm. They said they were using ingredients from the reef." I explained. "I've been under a spell before, but this one is worse. I couldn't find a recipe for it in my spellbook and I tried to mix two cures together."

"Rita! Why would you do that?" Evie exclaimed.  
"I have no idea why I want to rush things! I am doing things that I can't explain!" I threw my hands in the air. I looked around and I could hear gossip soar around the room.

"Rita, just don't try to do anything else today." Evie grabbed my attention, I sighed and nodded. Never in my lifetime, I thought I would be told what to do like a child. I turned around and walked back to the desk. Moments later, the bell rang and I dismissed the students in a hurry. As everyone was leaving, I cleaned up the mess I made, Evie looked at me and gave me a nod. I looked down, ashamed at my idiotic behavior. I should have waited and gone home to find my other books with a possible answer to it. I picked up my bag and left as soon as I could. I decided that I was going to bring my work home for the day. I was walking down the halls, looking at the students chatting at their lockers with friends, I suddenly stopped. I felt a sharp pain in my head, I closed my eyes and put my palm on my temple. I blinked a few times and looked straight ahead, my eyes started to ring out as if in a transition into a wind tunnel. I looked around me, I stared at two girls holding binders in their arms as they walked across the grass.

"Did you hear what happened to Ms. Santos?" The blonde girl asked.

"No, what happened?" Her shorter, brunette friend asked and turned to face her.

"Like, Brenda, she acted so strange. She started to make this black goop out of things she found in the science room." She explained. "It was so weird, like she was making homemade drugs or something."

There was no possible way that I was listening to their conversation, they were so far from me, I thought I was going crazy. I looked around at all the other people.

"Ow! I hurt my finger! Stupid locker." A boy yelled as nicked his finger in a locker door.

"My class is so frustrating, the kids never shut up and listen!" A teacher gossiped as she walked with another staff member.

"Then, I jumped into the water and saved the hot chick." A boy was bragging to a bunch of his friends. I heard everything being said as if it was a large roaring speakerphone in my ear. I ran out of the school gates as fast as I could away from all of the commotion. I walked to the car park and found my volvo. I unlocked it and got in, I threw my bag into the backseat and sat in the chair for a minute. I cleared my head and slammed the car door shut. I took a few deep breathes, _if I have this new ability, let's learn to control it while I can._ I opened the door slowly and listened to the different sounds. I could hear the swimming pool water splashing, students talking in the courtyard, and teachers lecturing in classrooms on the top floor through the window. I tuned into the lecture, I giggled at the weird feeling of focusing on these sounds as if I was a radio. The lecture was about how scientists use genetic coding. I happily closed the door in satisfaction of controlling this new ability, I started the car and drove home.

* * *

Chapter 5

After hours of working, taking breaks, and letting Poseidon jump back and forth from my lap; I looked at the clock hanging on the wall, I was going to give myself two hours to get ready.

"Rita," Mimmi said as she walked down the hall into the kitchen with Sirena.

"Hi, Mimmi, Sirena; what've you been doing?" I calmly asked, I closed my laptop.

"We were swimming on the reef and we decided to drop by the pod." Sirena said, she smiled.

"Then, we got distracted on the way back and played with some dolphins." Mimmi cheekily added.

"Also, we did some shopping with the money I got from singing!" Sirena held up the bags in her hands.

"Rita, your face!" Mimmi finally noticed. She dropped the bags she was holding onto the floor.

"It's been a long day, your potion thing in the Grotto spilt on me." I sighed, I stood up. "So what exactly did you use?"

"We weren't entirely sure about the coral." Mimmi responded.

"Or about the seaweed," Sirena added. "but hey you look great!" I frustratedly looked at her, she got the message and scooted back in embarrassment.

"We were going to test it on a prawn." Mimmi lowered her head.

"People are going to ask questions! I acted like a fool today and I felt like I had no control over my thoughts." I started to pace across the floor. "Well, it's not your fault. It's mine, I should have been more careful."

"Rita, we can try to do something about it." Sirena suggested.

"You're going to have to do it later, I have that date with Mitch." I said. "I'll see you two later tonight, bye, girls." I started to walk to the bedroom.

I went into the walk-in closet, I passed my professional clothes and house clothes to the back. I pushed two curtains back to reveal an antique vanity. There were dresses beside the mirror on racks, each one from my travels with Harry. I looked through them but one caught my eye; a red slim dress, with a v-neck sort of shape and thick black belt. I pulled it off of the hanger and placed it next to my young looking, potion-created body. I stood in front of the mirror with it, I liked how it complimented my brown-reddish hair; so I placed it on the back of the seat. I went into the bathroom and opened the drawer on the side filled with hundreds of different hair accessories. I picked up the most elegant hairpin that I could find, the one Harry gave me on the day he proposed. I pulled my hair to one side of my head and let the rest of it fall into my shoulder. I put the clip on the side of my head. The clip was a line of shells strung together with clear, sparkling crystals. I opened my almost-ancient makeup box and lightly brushed on some gold eyeshadow. I put on a light red color of lipstick and closed the box. I stood up from the chair and put on the dress. I found a pair of black heels under a few coats and a black handbag with shells sewn into the fabric. I slipped on the shoes and gracefully walked out of the bathroom, I hadn't ever worn these shoes in my life. I bought them while in mind that I would wear them on our honeymoon in Italy; apparently, I never did. I turned off the lights and walked out into the hall, Ondina rushed out of the Grotto and almost knocked me over.

"Rita!" Ondina exclaimed. "Woah, why are you so dressed up?" She examined my dress.

"I'm going on a date. Ondina, why are you in such a hurry? You better be careful next time." I said, startled at almost being toppled off of my heels.

"I was going to find Sirena and Mimmi. Some mermaid came up to me and asked where Sirena was. Her name was Lyla, I believe, and she said she heard about us saving Mako." Ondina gave it a second thought.

"Lyla," I let the name roll off of my tongue. "Lyla." I whispered to myself.

"Yeah, Lyla. Who else? She's the only one named Lyla in the pod." Ondina commented.

"She was with Sirena and Nixie when Zac first fell into the moonpool, this caused the pod to flee for the first time in centuries. They were the first mermaids to come onto land in years. I miss her a lot, she wanted to help Zac learn about the ocean and love it just as mermaids did." I breathed in the thought of the three girls coming to me on that first day.

"Okay, I have heard Lyla and Nixie be mentioned a few times but I never heard what they really did." Ondina pondered over it for a moment.

"I can tell you all about what they did but I have to go. I have to meet up with Mitch in a few minutes." I was about to leave until Ondina stopped.

"Rita, no offense but I think you overdid it with your makeup." Ondina said.

"Thank you. I did it accidentally with a potion." I replied sarcastically.

"Wait, what?" Ondina thought about it.

"I'll tell you later." I said as I walked down the steps to the front door.

I opened the front door and looked up.

"Mitch!" I jumped.

"Hi, Rita." Mitch kissed me on the cheek. He was holding some flowers and a bag.

"What are you holding?" I asked.

"They're for y-" Mitch held up the bag and smiled. He looked down at me again, his grin wiped off his face. "Rita, no offense, but did you do something with your face?"

"Why? Is something wrong?" I asked.

"I mean, it's just you and me. I think you're beautiful already." He said. _Awww._ I blushed. _Wait, he thinks I'm wearing makeup?!_ My shoulders dropped. "So! What's in the bag?" I tried to change subjects quickly. He handed me the gift, I reached inside and felt a cold shape, I pulled it out.

"Oh! It's a... mermaid." I nervously chuckled as I held the small, blue, glass mermaid sculpture in my hands.

"Is it okay? If you don't like it I can always get you something else." He asked.

"No! No, it's lovely. Thank you! I'll put it on the kitchen table." I rushed up the stairs and placed the bag and gift on the kitchen counter. _I'm going to have to tell him sooner or later._ I went back to Mitch and looked up at him.

"AHH-Oh my god!" I screamed. His face was perfectly carved, his defined marks were gone, his face was perfect. _Oh shit, he's hot._ I felt myself blush again. _I love him even more...WHAT AM I SAYING? How did that happen?!_

"What's wrong? Rita, is everything ok?" He asked me.

"Nothing! I just forgot something at the school, I'll get it on Monday." I lied through my teeth. _I must look so jumpy._ I looked behind me to see the coat rack, I grabbed my thin, long, black coat.

"Let's go!" I anxiously said. He reached out his arm and I curled my hand around his bicep. We walked down the hill to his parked car. We got in his car and drove to down the road as the sunset brushed against the world, giving everything an orange tint. I laid my head on the side of the window and felt the vibrations of the car engine. I felt the warm sun touch my face as if it kissed me goodbye.

"Mitch, thank you…" I gently smiled at him. "for everything."

"No problem, I'll do anything for you." He grinned back at me, he reached for my hand and held it for a moment.

"Are you sure you will do _anything?_ " I asked. I was going to tell him.

"Are you testing me on how much I love you?" He raised his eyebrow and chuckled.

"No, no. I just want to tell you something later, maybe tonight or tomorrow."

"What is it? You can tell me." He looked over at me again.

"I'll tell you, just be patient."

"It's amazing that I still don't know you that well even after a whole year."

"Yeah." I sighed. We sat in silence until I reached into my bag. "I almost forgot!" I pulled out a box. "I got you a tie for your suit. I thought it would go well with the shirt you usually wear." We stopped at a red street light and I opened the box.

"Thank you, it's nice! I think I'll wear it to that business meeting I have on Thursday, it'll look professional." He cheekily smiled as he glanced down at it. We started to move again when the light turned green. I smiled at him but inside I felt ashamed that he didn't know about me yet.

We drove for a few more minutes until we made it to the restaurant. Mitch came to my side of the car and opened the door. He extended his hand out to me, I grabbed it and stood up.

"Are you ready?" He asked as he closed the door behind my back.

"Yes." I turned around and smiled at him. He placed his hand on my shoulder and lead me up the steps to the building. He processed to open one of the double doors for me. I gave him a small thank you across my lips. We walked into a crowd of many impatient customers, bombarding the hostess at the counter with questions. Mitch and I exchanged concern, I nodded toward the front desk. He slide through the crowd as I glanced around at everyone, each tapping their fingers or toes. I was still surprised by how humans always were in a rush. I stood against the wall next to a dusty fake plant in the corner. I waited calmly for Mitch to return, he scooted along the edge of the wall and raised his eyebrow.

"The reservations were mixed up. They're having problems with their computer system, they said it's going to be an hour wait." He explained as he walked up to me.

"I don't think it's worth it." I glanced at the crowd once more.

"Me neither, I think we should go. We can go to my place and have dinner, is that okay?"

"Yeah, that would be nice." I smiled at him.

He put his arm over my shoulder and we strolled out of the restaurant.

* * *

SNIPPET SOMETHING (RANDOM SCENE IN DATE)

*Sitting on the couch, Rita leans in closer throughout the movie and later on lays on MItch's chest by the end of the movie*

*Mitch hears Rita sniffling*

"What's wrong?" *Mitch shifts his body a little to look at her*

"Nothing." *Rita notices that Mitch caught her already, she wipes the tears still trying to deny that she is crying*

"No, there's something wrong, you're crying." Mitch says.

* * *

SNIPPET SOMETHING

I walked around as students were eating lunch and chatting away. I decided that I was going to just enjoy the warm sun before getting the fish I packed in my office. I slowly strolled on the paths near the green towards my office. _Oh god._ I felt a sudden wave of nausea as a boy walked pass me. He smelt really bad as if he hadn't had a shower in two days. _Do they not know that they smell._ I stopped and pressed at my temples. My stomach felt as if it was in knots. The feeling moved to my chest. My mind clicked, _no no no no…_ I looked around for a bathroom and saw one down the pathways near the halls. It wasn't a staff bathroom but I had no other option. I started to rush to it but I felt a burning in my throat. I covered my mouth and ran to the bathroom. I hit the door with my free hand and leaped for a stall. My mouth burst out all the remaining contents of sea urchin insides from my stomach. I thrusted my head forward inside of the toilet as I kicked the stall door closed. After two minutes of vomit pouring out of my mouth, I caught my breath and fell back against the wall. I squinted my eyes at the smell of sea urchin vomit and the bathroom. I started to tear up from the disgusting conditions I put myself in. I sprawled my legs out on the nasty floor. I was exhausted and weak, I flushed down the nasty vomit while my head was spinning. I got up and opened the door as the bell started to ring. I stood up, straightened my shirt, and looked at the mirror to see my hair in a mess. It was easier to let my hair down instead of try to fix it. I pulled the clips out and held them in my hand. I walked out of the bathroom uneasy on my feet. I pushed at my chest at the burning sensation. I looked around again, I saw one teacher walking through the halls on the other side. She stared at me, I just assumed she didn't care. I slowly paced back to my office

* * *

PREGNANCY TEST SCENE

I sat in the chair on the balcony, leaning over the test in my fingers. I couldn't stare at it, I could only glimpse at it. I stared at the sunset, trying to distract my mind from the knowledge of having a child growing inside of me. Instead of tears, it was shock and fear taking it's place. Instead of denying this child, it was 'How am I going to tell Mitch or am I going to tell him at all?' It was 'What if I get exposed during all of this because I can't save myself in time?' and 'Am I going to attract too much attention to myself?' Mitch, my secret, my job, my child. Questions of the future of all this were overwhelming.

* * *

 **SNIPPET ABOUT 3 MONTHS**

"Sirena, I feel weird coming here." I said softly, almost to a whisper.

"Rita, I'm sure it's fine, just because you're a principal doesn't mean you're an alien." I watched as two people left the café. "David doesn't mind, neither does Carly. Besides, they both know already. Also, I know that nobody really comes around this hour." Sirena tried to assure me. We both sat down at a table. Carly came to us, she looked nervous.

"Hi, Principal Santos, hi, Sirena. Um… what can I get you?" Carly stuttered.  
"Carly, are you alright?" Sirena asked, looking up. "You're sweating pinballs."

"Carly, it's alright. I'm not as stern as I am at school, I don't want anyone to be afraid of me. If that's the case and Sirena has told you, you can just call me Rita." I tried to calm Carly down.

"Are you sure?" Carly asked, she seemed to feel much better.

"Carly, we only came here to have lunch together." I smiled.

"For now, we'll have the plate of prawns." Sirena said to Carly.

"Also, can I get a full lobster?" I added.

"Alright." Carly walked back to the cool room, I could see her start to giggle.

Sirena looked back at me, "Rita, I want to discuss something." She started. I looked at her, waiting for her to continue. "You've been acting strange lately, more than usual."

"What do you mean?" I asked, I placed my folded hands onto the table.

"You've been sick, not the kind Evie and us got." Sirena explained, her face showing her concern. "Rita, this has been going on for weeks. This is different, than being sick, isn't it?"

"Sirena, I- I-" I was cutoff by Carly placing a large plate of prawns and lobster on the table. I stopped and looked at the food, I decided to not say anything to Sirena.

"Thank you, Carly." I said, I took the biggest prawn I could find on the plate and bit into the shell. I looked at Sirena, she was disappointed at me for avoiding her question.

"You're welcome." Carly backed away as I chewed into the large prawn.

"Sirena, I'm fine, don't worry, nothing's wrong." I picked a piece of the lobster tail and waved it around as I reassured her.

"Rita, this isn't like you. Also, you never talk with food in your hands or mouth and you never eat the shell in public. Only Nixie and Lyla did that, and they didn't live on land." She picked up a prawn and pulled the soft meat out of the shell. I pressed at my chest, I felt my unusual indigestion.

"I don't?" I confusedly asked her. I picked up another part of the lobster and bit straight into the shell. I felt a strong craving for the lobster, I kept pulling off the seafood on the plate.

"Rita?... Rita!" Sirena tried to grab my attention. She pushed my hand down onto the table. I dropped the prawn I was going to eat back onto the plate.

"Hey!" I looked up at her.

"You've never eaten this fast and you don't like lobster!" I could tell she was getting frustrated. She made me uncomfortable. "Stop acting strange."

"Sirena, we already are the definition of _strange_!" My voice raised as I started to stand up. I looked across the room at David and Carly, they looked disturbed at our heated argument.

"Oh-kaaay…." David mumbled under his breathe, he walked into the cool room and I sat back down.

"Rita, we came here not just for lunch, but to talk as well, I'm just concerned." Sirena started to calm down. I was embarrassed by how she was pointing out everything I was doing differently. I picked up the seafood I dropped on the plate and shoved it into my mouth.

"Stop trying to avoid this with food." She calmly told me.

"Sirena, I told you I'm fine. I'm just hungry." I looked down.

"No. You can't make up a lame excuse for avoid my conversation. Food, really Rita?" She picked up a prawn and slapped it back onto the plate to prove a point. "Tell me you can come up with something better than that." I didn't realize that Evie just walked into the room. I stood up.

"Sirena! Do you want to know? Do you _really_ want to know?! Fine! I'm eating almost four lobsters a day because I'M PREGNANT!" I infuriatingly yelled as I threw my hands up in the air. Evie, David, Carly, and Sirena all stared at me. I finally notice Evie standing there, everyone was in shock. I felt small tears fall onto my cheeks. Sirena studied my face and then my stomach, I couldn't blame her, anyone else would do the same, I just admitted that I was carrying an unborn child.

"Rita, what do you mean? That's impossible." Evie asked, she continued to come closer.

"I don't know!" I cried, I had no clue of what to do, I just wanted to hide.

"Rita, maybe we should talk about this at the house." Sirena suggested. I nodded, I sniffled. Carly grabbed a tissue and handed it to me. We all stood there in silence, I've never really been in the center of attention before, I was so used to being in an outer image.

"Actually, that's great! Congratulations, Ms. Santos." Carly broke the awkward silence of the room. I smiled at her, she made me feel better about the situation.

"Rita, that's great! Don't be ashamed of it." Evie came and hugged me. She looked at me and smiled, I couldn't help but smile back.

"Thank you, David. Sorry about the trouble." Sirena went to give him a hug. I turned around and looked at David.

"David, can I get three more lobsters? If you have any left." I asked with a slight smile.

"Sure, Ms. Santos." He replied, he rushed to the cool room and brought out a styrofoam crate. I took the crate from his hands.

"Thank you." I sweetly smiled. I now had support that I longed for, I didn't have to go through it alone. Sirena and I exchanged a simple goodbye with everyone. She lead me out the door. We walked down the dock to my house.

* * *

SNIPPET AFTER CAFE SCENE

"So how far are you into… well, you know." Sirena tried to ask. We opened the door to the condo and walked up the steps.

"I'm confident enough to say that I'm not sure but I think I had…" I started. "Mitch is the father. I told him and he hasn't said anything concerning," I said. I looked at Sirena, "yet." We both sat down in the kitchen. Sirena sat down in the chairs and I went behind the kitchen island. I picked up a cup and poured some water into it.

"Do you want some?" I asked her.

"No, I'm okay." Sirena replied. She folded her hands. "So when I was learning about humans, pregnancy is like," She looked up trying to find her words. "like growing a baby in a land girl's womb, instead of an egg."

"Correct." I took a sip of my water.

"But you're not a land girl." She stated.

"Yes, but I guess

* * *

WEDDING SCENE

Commitment to a person is a very delicate and fragile thing. If there is an unbalance to the commitment, it snaps. Although it may seem like we rushed into this, I know we were already prepared. Mitch loves me and I love him. Now that he knows about his child, we both can get ready for its arrival together.

In this moment, there is no one helping me fit into my white dress. I'm alone in the room, only a mirror to accompany me. I examined my hair, pulled up into a diamond clip and decorated with pearls. I repeatedly yank the dress over my breast, I sigh over the fact I only bought the dress a week earlier. The strapless dress was large and heavy at the bottom, a giant layer of tulle and fabric. Still, it was beautiful with white faux butterflies scattered around in each ruffle. There was still one detail I hadn't glossed over yet, I was three months pregnant. There was an odd bump under the dress but I wasn't going to let that make me uncomfortable. Besides no one is going to care except me. I walked out of the room into a garden. Flowers surrounded me and to shelter me was a canopy created by trees. At the end of the garden was a small dome structure covered in vines sprouting every way. I walked onto the weathered stone pathway. Mitch, dressed in a handsome tuxedo and the minister were standing patiently in the dome. When I reached them, the minister nodded.

"Is it weird that I didn't wear a veil?" I asked Mitch as we stared at each other.

"No, it's fine. Are you ready?" Mitch responded.

"I was always ready." I smiled. Holding hand in hand, we turned to the minister.

After he finished, we looked deep into each other's eyes. This was the moment we become infinitely united.

"I, Mitch Arden Ross, take you, Rita Santos, to be my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part." Mitch vowed.

"I, Rita Santos, take you, Mitch Arden Ross, to be my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part." I vowed.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may kiss the bride." The minister announced. Mitch brought his hands behind my back and to my head, he pulled me towards him. We shared our first kiss as husband and wife.

"I'll give you two a moment to settle." The minister said as he left the garden.

Mitch and I sat stared once more at each other but closer than before. I rested my head against his chest. We locked hands near my waist.

"You know, I never told you." I softly said.

"What did you not tell me?" Mitch asked.

"I'm also a siren." I chuckled.

"Which means?"

"I guess we can have our first dance here."

Mitch let out a small laugh. "You're going to sing, right now?"

I started to sing a very slow song as I looked back up at him. We swayed back and forth across the floor. He raised an eyebrow, I assumed he wasn't sure of my voice but in a few moments he grinned. After several minutes of dancing, we walked out of the dome into the garden.

"Mitch, I want to show you my world one day. Well, my world before." I said.

"What do you mean?"

"The ocean but in a different way."

* * *

SNIPPET AFTER MARRIAGE

"Zac, get out of my kitchen." I said, I put my hand on the counter and the clack of my wedding ring slap onto the marble.

"Rita, did I do something wrong?" He asked as he bit into a juicy large prawn. I watched as drips of sauce rolled down his lip. Sirena watched as I eyed the food in his hand.

"Out, Zac. Go finish your food somewhere else." I pointed down the hall.

"Uh, Rita, are you okay? What was that about?" Sirena raised an eyebrow. I pressed my fingers against my forehead.

"Alright… I'll just be off then…" Zac crept away, picking up his plate of food.

"Rita, if you wanted some, you could have asked and I would've gotten you it." Sirena suggested. She got off of the couch and headed for the fridge. I whipped around and glanced at her.

"I'm fine, I don't need any." I snapped, I could smell the seafood drifting in the air. I wanted to taste it but if I ate it, I knew I would puke afterwards. I decided it would be easier just to eat anything beside it for the rest of the day.

"Um, it was for me." Sirena jumped. She took out a serving of the prawns and placed them on a plate. I stared at the white dish of shellfish, I frustratedly let out a breath.

"Actually, I'm going on the balcony to finish some work."

* * *

RANDOM BONDING SCENE

I was laying sideways on the couch, reading my book until I felt a punch to the stomach. I was caught off guard and I jumped. I realized that the baby was kicking again. I flip onto my back and put my book down on the coffee table. I stared at my belly.

"Mitch. Mitch! Come here!" I called out to him. I turn my head and watch him rush down the hall. He knelt down at my side and held my hand.

"What's wrong? Rita, is the baby okay? Are you okay?" He asked worriedly.

"Calm down, look." I place his hand on my stomach. I smile at him and watch his eyes light up and smile.

"It's really kicking." He said at the sudden jerks.

"Yeah, it's pretty strong." I flinched at the movements.

"I can't wait until next week." He pressed his ear on my belly. "Hello in there, Daddy's waiting to know if you are my little girl or boy." He kissed me on the forehead and started to run his fingers through my hair. I closed my eyes and rested my hands on my stomach. I wondered if it's was going to be a boy or a girl but it was more important to wonder if it would be full mermaid, full human, or hybrid. It scared me of the things I was not prepared for, I cleared my mind. I pondered the moment between mother and child, knowing that I have know this baby before I _knew_ it.

"What do you think you'll do if the baby is a mermaid or merman?" Mitch asked seriously. I opened my eyes and turned my head towards him.

"I don't know, we'll just have to see, won't we?" I sighed. I stopped and realized the importance of remembering and not being careless. "Wait, Mitch we can't go to that ultrasound."

"Why?" He asked.

"What if it's got a tail and we can't explain that to the nurse." I explained. "They might do tests or worse, maybe even take out the baby prematurely." Shivers went down my spine as I said it. I tried to grab onto the side of the couch and stand up. I gave it a few tries until I laid back down and groaned.

"Here." Mitch reached out his hand. I grabbed his hand and pulled myself up.

"Thanks." I picked up my book on the coffee table. I folded the corner of the page and closed it. Mitch observed the front cover and raised his eyebrow.

" ' _You and Your Baby in 9 Months_ '." He read off of the cover. "You know this isn't your normal, everyday, human pregnancy, right?" He asked concernedly.

"I know, but if there are similarities, at least I'll know something about it." I replied, confidently. He studied my eyes for a moment, then his face gave approval.

"Okay then, I guess you can't be too prepared." He placed his hand on my shoulder and lead me to the hall.

"Mitch, why don't we take a walk on the beach later?" I asked. I opened the door to my bedroom, we walked inside and I placed my book on the bedside table.

"Are you sure? You don't really like to go out, unless you're working or swimming." He raised his eyebrow at my new decision.

"Look, it's been maybe years since I've used these _things_ for a greater purpose than walking to the school." I joked as I shook my legs. "I feel like having some prawns, then we'll go, okay?"

"Sure."

* * *

 **SNIPPET AFTER BONDING SCENE**

Mitch and I walked down the hill to the beach. I looked around, I saw a few of my students. They looked just as embarrassed as I was, I felt awkward. I regretted my decision to walk outside, where everyone could see me and Mitch together. I tried to ignore their staring. I focused on how beautiful the sunset was. I looked at Mitch, his hand held mine, and my feet touching the warm, dry sand. I looked down at my belly, I noticed that it was much bigger than I thought it was. I felt a little self-conscious of the way it looked. I once again tried to take my mind off of it.

"Mitch," I started. I felt the warm breeze run through my hair.

"Yes?" He studied my eyes.

* * *

LAST SWIM SCENE

I sat down at the sea entrance, feeling down, knowing that it might be my last time swimming. I slide my legs into the water and sat on the ledge. I felt my legs transform into my tail, I looked down at it happy to see it one last time. I knew that today was the last exception for a casual swim, after that I would probably see my tail again by accident. I looked out at the tidal rings dancing on the water. I went down under the surface and opened my eyes. I swam out into the open ocean and slowly paddled my way along the coast. I made my way to the large reefs near the caves, a quarter of a mile from my house. I slowly swam around the coral. I smiled at the sight of each little fish seeming to play in the anemones. I softly laid down on a soft coral sponge and and placed my hands on my belly. I stared at the surface and the fish. I imagined my little girl swimming with me through the kelp forests together. I was about to get up and swim back home until I saw a small, young mermaid swim around the corner. She looked startled as I was. She swam away towards Mako where the pod was, I knew that this wasn't good so I hid myself and followed her at my own pace. I found her talking to Veridia, which _was_ the head of the Mermaid Council. I swam behind a rock and stayed hidden.

"There was a mermaid near the coral covered rock forms closer to land, where the houses are." She explained to Veridia.

"Ava, that's fine as long as she stayed hidden." Veridia said.

"But... but her stomach was huge like perfectly round. It didn't look normal. It was weird, I just wanted to tell you because she was thin and her stomach wasn't, it just didn't add up." Ava tried to tell her. "You said if anyone saw something unordinary, we should come and tell you." She looked down.

"Okay, if you are that concerned, I will keep an eye out for this suspicious character." Veridia swam back down. I thought that Veridia went the other way, so I came out from behind the rock and came out of my invisible state. I looked behind me for a second and saw Veridia. She was swimming my way so I hid myself again and slowly swam home. I hoped she didn't see my face but I was sure she saw my stomach.

* * *

AFTER SWIM SCENE

I found Mitch in the kitchen, I was crying.

"Honey, what's wrong?" He dropped the papers he was holding on the counter. He came up to me and hugged me. He kissed me on the head.

"Someone saw me," I tried to explain through tears drowning my throat.

"As a mermaid?" He asked.

"No, not a human, I was swimming. A little girl, not a girl but small mermaid. Ava, I think, told Veridia that I was pregnant." I said. I looked up at him, I tried to wipe the tears rolling on my cheeks."Well, she only described my belly. She probably didn't know what it was, obviously."

"Does Veridia know it's you?" Mitch asked.

"I don't think so." I said, unsurely.

"That's good, at least."

"It's just against the nature of all mermaids. I'm probably the first mermaid ever to _be_ pregnant. Mermaids have eggs and I've been six months with a baby _in_ me." I looked down at my baby bump. "There's a huge difference in that Mitch. It's like a bird giving birth in a nest, it's against nature by... a lot." I sniffled.

"Maybe the pod might accept that, maybe not today but later, you maybe have about three months." Mitch tried to assure me.

* * *

PLAN FOR HARRY'S REVEAL (SECRET NOT ACTUAL HARRY) SCENE

"I mean, I was already was casted out when..." I realized that I had never told him.

"Why were you casted out?" Mitch confusedly asked.

"Mitch, I need to tell you something." I let go of him.

"I met a man before," I started. "I used to sneak onto land to meet him, and when the pod learned about him," I continued. "I was casted out and... and..."

"What happened?" Mitch started to get eager.

"Harry and I got engaged," I started to to tear up again. "but he died before the wedding. After that, I promised myself that I would never love anyone again." I sat down on the couch. I placed my head in my hands.

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" Mitch asked, he looked upset.

"I met you and I fell in love with you. I thought telling you would push you away." I tried to explain.

"I would never leave you, I certainly didn't when I learned you had a tail." He came up to me and brushed the hair out of my eyes. "I loved you from the moment I saw your face." He told me, I smiled and kissed him.

* * *

POST-FIRST CONTRACTION SCENE (REWRITE AFTER BIRTH SCENE)

"Good morning, Honey." I heard Mitch's soft voice flood into my ears. I smile as the warm sunlight touches my cheeks. I breathed deeply as I stretched to get up, putting my hand on his face as I opened my eyes. I gazed at his face as he grinned sweetly.

"Good morning." I said in response.

"Should we get up or stay in bed for another hour?" Mitch laughed. We stared into each other's eyes.

"I think it's a lovely day, we should at least sit on the balcony." I said. Mitch started to get out of the bed. He walked around to my side and reached out his hand. I looked up at him with a grin. I grabbed onto his hand and sat up, I suddenly felt a pain in the side of my stomach. I stopped for a moment and squinted my eyes.

"Rita, are you okay?" Mitch concernedly asked.

"Yeah, yeah." I looked up at him. "Probably just another boxing match with my insides." I joked. I placed my feet firmly onto the ground and pushed myself up from the bed. My light purple, long, silk dress fell down from my knees as I stood up. I adjusted the straps on my shoulders and turned around to face the messy sheets on the bed.

"Mitch, can you go downstairs and make a plate of prawns and, hm…" I looked up at the ceiling deciding on what to have. "what about, two crabs?"

"Sure, I'll go make it." Mitch started to leave the room.

"Also, David just dropped off another box of seafood, it should be in the fridge." I called out.

"Okay, Hon." He replied as he turned down the hall.

I looked down at the bed, I fixed up the sheets and pulled them over the pillows. I finished and turned around, the see-through window curtains were gracefully flapping in the warm breeze. I watched as they danced from side to side, I walked up to them and opened the window. I looked outside and saw the beach down below with people scattered across the sand. I watched as some of them jumped into the rolling waves, my eyes started to search out at the sea. I saw some heads surface in the deep waters. I gently smiled as the young mermaids played a game, leaping from the water and splashing each other frantically. I sat there in silence until I felt another kick to my stomach. I looked down at my belly _, I am tired of this, get it out of me._ I closed the windows and the curtains fell, even though the light still flooded into the room. I put on my robe hanging from the wall by a hook. I shuffled my feet to the kitchen with all the weight hanging from my torso. I sat down at the kitchen island as Mitch was making his breakfast. I found a glass sitting on the counter and I poured some water into it. I took a sip of it and set the glass down, I stared straight ahead frustratedly blowing steam from my nose.

"Mitch," I started.

"Yes?" he looked back and placed a large plate of seafood in front of me.

"I'm so done with this all." I sighed.

He chuckled and turned off the stove. "Pregnancy will do that to you." He poured his scrambled eggs onto a small plate. He picked up his mug of coffee and sat in front of me.

"Hey! You're not the one who's pregnant, you don't know what it's like." I said.

"Trust me, my older sister would not stop going on about it when she had my nephew." Mitch looked up from me, he shoved a fork of eggs into his mouth.

"Is your sister a mermaid?" I raised my eyebrow, I picked up a crab leg.

"No, but..." Mitch looked up. "Okay, you have a point."

"I thought so." I smiled in a small victory, I sat back a little as we looked at each other and took bites of our different meals. _Eggs and crabs._

"Do you want to go onto the balcony?" Mitch asked after he took a sip of his coffee.

"Yeah, just let me go and-" I stopped.

"Are you okay?" He asked as my eyes shifted into a panic.

"Oh god. Oww." I bent over in my chair with my mouth agap. I held my stomach through the violent jerks.

"Rita, what's going on?" MItch asked concernedly.

"It's- it's more than I'm used to." I sat back up and slightly shook my head. "I'm alright, it'll be over soon, I just need a minute."

"Are you sure? You don't

* * *

BIRTH SCENE (STARTED REWRITE ABOVE, THIS WAS VERY "OUT THEREEEE" :S)

I was looking out at the horizon as the sun was setting, sitting down at the table on the balcony. I thought it was so beautiful, I sat my hand on my large stomach. I looked at the girls sitting on the bench, talking about the funny things that they had done with the pod. I looked down at Poseidon, who was jumping onto my table. I felt a sudden pain in my belly. I thought it was another round of kicking, until I felt a harder one that made me cringe. I felt a large one that made me double over in my chair. I climbed out of the chair with the strength that I had. I felt to my knees and I curled up on the floor and held my stomach.

"OWWWW!" I screamed. I tightly closed my eyes and curled up even tighter. I opened my eyes and saw the girls jumping up and coming towards me.

"Rita, are you ok?" Ondina asked, I could hear the panic in her voice.

"I don't know." I responded.

"Ondina, I think she's having the baby." I heard Sirena. I felt their hands try to pull me up from the ground.

"OH MY GOD!" I cried. I kept opening my eyes and seeing a different area of the condo. I kept shuffling my feet. I couldn't make out where I was going, my mind was only focused on the pain. The girls lead me to the front of the bookcase.

"Girls, why are we going to the Grotto? Why not the bedroom?" I looked up at them.

"Crap. How could I be so stupid?" Sirena blew steam out of her nose in frustration.

"But… the supplies are in the Grotto." Ondina said.

"Then, Ondina, go get them." Mimmi sternly ordered.

"Seriously!" Ondina ran down into the Grotto.

"Rita, hold on." I heard Mimmi say.

"Mimmi, I thought contractions came before going straight into labor." I said.

"Rita, I don't know. Well, it _is_ completely new to nature." Mimmi tried to give me an explanation.

"Well, now that I think of it, I was hurting this morning." I managed to spit out.

"I'll get Mitch." I heard Ondina run up the stairs.

"Sirena, there's, uh..." I tried to make out what I wanted in my head. "Fuuuuck! Oh my god." I cringed. Mimmi got me onto the bed in the room. I looked up at Sirena, she was blurry in my teary-eyed vision.

"Rita what is it?" Sirena asked.

"There's a bottle of sea slime and grounded coral. It's greenish purple, it's in a small clear glass." I said. I cringed again. I felt the worse pain I had ever had in my life.

"Where?" Sirena asked.

"On the shelves, in the Grotto, to your left." I said. Sirena ran out of the room.

"Oh, this feels really awkward." Mimmi said as she pushed my dress out of the way, spread my legs, and pushed them up. She looked between them.

"Hey, at least the heads coming out!" She said. Sirena ran back in and Ondina behind her, holding a large amount of towels.

"Here, Rita. I found it!" Sirena held up the small bottle.

"Good, now pour it halfway into that glass." I pointed at a small cup that looked like a shot glass on the desk. "Harry gave me that once."

"Rita!" I watched Mitch run into the room.

"Luckily, I called Mitch and he was only two minutes away." Ondina proudly said.

Sirena handed me the small glass. I tried to sit up and dumped the mixture into my throat as fast as I could.

"You just drank that nasty liquid!" Sirena looked at me disgustedly. "What was that?"

"Pain killer." I said. I dropped the glass on the bed at the feeling of relief. "It's like an epidural, just not directly into your back." I felt so much better. "I can use it during any stage, later than the human injection version."

"Would that hurt the baby at all?" Sirena asked.

"No, I made it. I know it wouldn't hurt anything." I replied. Mitch rushed to my side.

"Are you ok?" Mitch asked. I looked at him like he was stupid.

"Am I ok? Am I ok?! AM I OK?! YOU FUCKING DID THIS TO ME! I HATE YOU!" I freaked out at him. "OH MY FUCKING GOD!" I felt the pain again even after I just had an effective amount of pain reducing formula, it even hurt more than before.

"Shit! I thought the sea slime and coral would work! AAUUGGHHH!" I scraped the bed sheets with my nails making marks in the fabric. I couldn't care less at the sheets, I could replace them. I just wanted it to be all over.

"Mitch, I don't think she means that." Mimmi assured him. She kept looking at the baby's head. "You have to remember that she _is_ in a lot of pain."

"I... AM... FUCKING... DYING!" I screamed in between breathes. "MITCH!"

"Yes, Rita?" He asked. "Just keep breathing, ok?" I grabbed his arm, I squeezed it as hard as I could. His eyes bulged out of his skull as I forced my fingers into his skin. I felt a flood of tears run out of my tightly shut eyes. My forehead was dripping with sweat.

"WHY DOES IT HURT SO MUCH?!" I cried. My neck strained upwards to the ceiling as I whimpered. I slowly let go of his arm and reached out towards a chair near the desk. I pulled it next to the bed. I put my hand in it and I pushed down. The back of the chair cracked as I cried in pain, I frustratedly pushed it away. I sat myself up and pressed my elbows into the mattress.

"Rita, breathe, keep pushing!" Ondina came to Mimmi's side. Mitch went to help Mimmi out.

"I AM!" I screamed. I repeatedly kept saying that I was going to die. Sirena was placing the towels around me and partially under my legs to be helpful.

"Last time I probably saw that was nine months ago." Mitch laughed. The girls looked at him and I pointed my middle finger at him. I was in so much pain and he had to make a stupid joke.

"Oh, sorry." He said, embarrassed. He came and let me grab his strong hand, I squeezed his palm.

"Your wife is in pain, Mitch. Really?" Sirena said. She shook her head in disbelief.

I screamed, I must have lost my mind in that moment, my eyes scanned the room. I saw Poseidon scurry around and rudely leave. Ondina ran behind him, I didn't care about them in that moment and squeezed Mitch's hand harder.

"Rita, a few more pushes!" Mimmi said, encouragingly.

"Mitch, your arm is hairy." I paused. I looked at him, my eyes were stinging, I felt the messy curls in my hair falling onto my shoulders.

"Yes, Dear." Mitch stared at me and patted my hand.

"I hate you."

"Yes, Dear." He let me squeeze his hand harder.

"I'm going to die." I scraped my teeth against each other.

"No, you're not going to die." He tried to reassure me.

"I'm going crazy." I chuckled as my eyes watered.

"Yes, you've sort of lost it." He looked down at my red, sore hand.

"Don't tell me that! I'm in FUCKING LABOR, you son of a BITCH!" I screamed.

"Yes, we all know that."

Sirena stared at our odd moment.

"Rita, don't stop! You're doing great!" Mimmi encouraged me.

I pushed as hard as I could. I kept screaming in small bursts. My eyes were tearing up at the pain.

"You can do it, Honey!" Mitch told me. "Come on!"

Ondina ran back into the room. "I found some towel racks."

"Ondina, why did you get those?" Sirena asked.

"I thought that maybe Rita can push off of them and maybe help out Mitch a little bit." Ondina replied. The girls looked back at her. "Hey! At least I'm doing something useful."

"Oh, god! Thank you!" I yelled. Ondina put the two racks near my arms. I let go of Mitch's arm and placed my hands on the bars. I pushed against them and Mitch kept encouraging me to breathe and push.

"One more push!" Sirena said. In response, I pushed as hard as I could.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" I felt a wave of relief through my body and mind. I fell back to catch my breathe. _I just had a child. A beautiful girl._ I heard the reassuring wails of a newborn and I continued to feel tears fall from my eyes, I was too overjoyed to speak.

"You just had a baby girl," Mimmi smiled as she held my child in her arms with a towel. "And maybe just with an orange addition."

"What?" I sat up and saw my baby with a bright orange tail.

"Mitch," I paused. "Coralia's a mermaid."

"I know but at least she's as beautiful as her mother." Mitch watched as Mimmi cut the umbilical cord, he kissed me and we both smiled at each other. I was still in so much pain but I was too overjoyed to focus on it. I was glad that I could still function after that. Mitch went over to Mimmi and held Coralia. He was about to come over to let me hold her but I shifted towards Ondina as she confusedly look between my legs. _What is she doing?_

"Um, is there suppose to be another huge grubby thing come out after the baby?" Ondina asked.

"Maybe, why?" I confusedly replied.

"AHHHHHHHH!" I felt the same horrible pain as before as my back rose off the bed. I screamed, it hurt more than I wanted it to. I fell back and screamed to the top of my lungs.

"There's another?!" Mimmi freaked. "Ondina, you might have to pull the baby out! I'm taking care of Coralia!"

"What?... What... other?!" I panted.

"What?! Why do I have to do it?!" Ondina looked at them with disappointment. I felt my body crumbling. I couldn't take the pain anymore, I felt like giving up.

"ONDINA! I DON'T CARE IF YOU THINK ITS NASTY! TAKE _WHATEVER_ IT IS OUT OF ME NOW!" I yelled at her. I laid back on the table. Mitch's eyes widened at the sight of this unexpected child, he handed Coralia back to Mimmi. Mimmi carefully handed Coralia to Serina.

"Rita, push! I know you don't want to, but you have to! Come on, just one more!" Mimmi kept telling me. Mitch came to my side again and held my hand.

"Rita, you can do it! Come on, Honey!" Mitch excitedly exclaimed.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!...Holy shit!" I cried. Mimmi pulled another baby out of me. _She just pulled out another child, out of me. I just had another child. I have twins._ I didn't know that I had two babies inside of my body. I was so shocked by how crazy it sounded that I had no knowledge of my other child.

"Ondina, I didn't have a towel." Mimmi held a boy with a blue tail in her arms, obviously with no towel, her arms and shirt were covered in goop. Mitch ran to the baby and held him, with the umbilical cord still attached.

"Thank you, Mitch." Mimmi said quickly. I laid back down and caught my breathe.

"Mitch, here's some scissors to cut the rope thing." I heard Ondina say, followed by a snip, then a loud thud on the floor. I dropped my legs back down and sat up at the sounds of his little relieving cry. I saw Mimmi on the floor drying her tail and Sirena holding Coralia, wiping the goop off of her with a soft towel.

"They're so beautiful." I started to tear up again.

Ondina picked up some large pillows and placed them behind my back. Mimmi stood back up and went to Sirena to wrap Coralia in a blanket. Mitch picked up a blanket as well and wrapped my baby boy in it. Ondina and Sirena were smiling and they hugged each other. Mitch and Mimmi came up to me and placed my babies in my arms. I smiled and kissed each of them on the forehead, I finally knew what it meant to be a mother.

"Awww…" Ondina smiled and teared up.

"Ondina, I didn't know you have a soft spot." Sirena joked and nudged her.

"They're adorable." Mimmi grinned from ear to ear. Mitch sat by me and looked at their button noses. I looked up at him and a look of concern washed over my face.

"Mitch, what are we gonna name this little one?" I asked as I turned my head towards my boy.

"I don't have a clue, I just was expecting a little girl after you told me." He answered.

"Can we name him after my father?" I asked.

"Sure." He agreed.

"His name was Caspian though." I looked up at Mitch.

"Oh, uh… Caspian. Hm, actually, what about Max? Short for Maximus." Mitch suggested.

"Caspius?" I giggled. "I'm just joking."

"Maximus Caspian Ross." He confidently said.

"Ok, you get to name him since I named Coralia." I agreed upon his name.

"Coralia Thalassas and Maximus Caspian Ross." Mitch formally officialized.

"Max and Cora." I pronounced, I smiled at each of the girls. Suddenly, I heard the front door open and close.

"Who's that?" I asked as I looked at the babies and heard footsteps scramble across the floor.

Unexpectedly, Evie and Zac rushed into the room.

"Is Rita ok now?" Zac asked, trying to catch his breathe.

"Yeah, it was really stressful." Mimmi replied.

"Awww... they're tiny and cute." Zac uttered. I smiled at him and lightly rocked Max and Cora in my arms.

"Oh, yeah. I forgot after you screamed at me, that I called Zac and Evie when I went to go get the towel racks." Ondina said, she rocked back and forth on her heels. I looked at Evie, she was sweating down her forehead.

"We were on the beach, so we ran here." Evie explained. "Oh my god! They are so precious!" She added. After minutes of minutes of smiling and tearing up; we all settled down and talked about the crazy event, I joined in on the conversation to add in a few details. I sat there in the bed still sore but I felt so overjoyed to have two, little, healthy babies peacefully sleeping in my arms.

* * *

CAR CRASH SCENE (YEAR AFTER CHILDREN/ BOOK 2)

I smiled at Lyla for a moment, time seemed to slow down, the world exploded in front of my eyes. The blinding light flooded the car, the impact sent my head flying towards the dashboard. Lyla and Sirena screamed in sheer terror and pain. My neck whipped straight into the steering wheel, I banged my skull against it. My eyes filled with tears as I heard Lyla's bones crack underneath the side door crushing her body. The shards from the windows jetted into the seats, slicing through my skin, shedding blood across my face and arms. Time was still, the shattered glass was still, the blood was still. I couldn't reflect on the moment, it happened so slowly yet so fast.

The constant fighting to pull back to reality or stay in the moment. I opened my eyes, I was in pain, my head was pounding. Lyla was pinned underneath the crunched door, the glass was scattered across the seats. I sat my head back, I managed to twist it just enough to see Nixie whimpering and Sirena trembling. Sirena grabbed her purse and pulled out her mobile phone. With shaky hands she tried to dial a number as she smeared blood all over her phone screen. She unlocked the car door and climbed out.

"Nixie, are you ok?" She asked. I could only hear Nixie slowly move towards her side of the car and get out. Moments later I hear Sirena crying out, "Zac! Zac! We got into a car crash. Nixie and I are scared, we don't know what to do!"

"Sirena, let me talk." Nixie said.

"Here." Sirena muttered.

"Zac, get anyone you can to come help, Rita and Lyla are badly hurt…what?...we're on Seymour Road or around it….that's what it says on the sign….ok...ok. Bye."

* * *

COMA DREAM AFTER CRASH

I woke up in my bed to the doorbell ringing, I sat up blinking my eyes. Stepping my feet on the ground, putting on my gray robe, and rushing down the hall angered me.

"Coming!" I frustratedly called out as I descended down the steps. I straightened out my nightgown but before opening the door lock, I thought to myself. _Why would anyone want to come to the principal's house._ I opened the door and gasped. My eyes welled with tears as I stared at him.

"Oh my god." I covered my mouth in shock. I finally felt the desperate tears that held to my eyes fall onto my cheeks. "Harry." I managed to spit out, my head spun around. _He was dead. I watched him die in my arms._

"Rita." He said with a lump of guilt in his throat. "I'm so sorry."

"No! You died! I watched you die! I sat and held your hand. You died in that war!" I panicked.

I sat at the edge of the bed. Hundreds of soldiers calling out for needs as nurses ran around helping patients. I looked down at my dirty, blood stained nurse uniform. I had been sitting in the chair for hours attending to Harry as he slowly bled out from his gunshot wound. I tilted my head to look down at the red bandage around his torso.

"Harry, I won't leave you. I'll be here all night if I have to." I held my hand within his. I placed my lips against his knuckles. I shut my eyes as my lips quivered.

"Rita, I won't leave you." He started to cough. I handed him a glass of water with my free hand. "Look, when we walk down that aisle, we'll have that white wedding you've always wanted, on the beach too just how you imagined it." He smiled. I tilted my head at the ceiling as I sniffle and chuckled in a small relief.

"Rita," He said weakly.

"Hm?"

"you should get some rest." He told me.

"No, I said I wasn't going to leave. I'll stay by you no matter what." I looked sternly at him.

He nodded as my eyes allowed tears to escape. As I held his hand, I softly laid my head on his chest. Ten minutes later, I started to drift until he began to cough violently. I handed him the glass of water again, he started to calm down. "Rita, I know now."

"What?" I softly asked.

"I must accept that maybe I am going-" He started to say in between coughs.

"No. Don't say things like that. You are going to stay alive, I will keep you alive." I cut him off.

"Rita, I'm not going to make it." He said.

"Harry, you can't, I need you." I cried.

"Shh. Rita stop, don't say anything." He inhaled deeply. "I love you." With the strength he had left, he reached out his hand to place it around my cheek. He pulled me in and placed his lips on mine, I closed my eyes and let my heart take over my mind. His grip loosen and he exhaled. I opened my eyes and looked at him, he laid there unresponsive and cold. The few second that I sat completely still were of total shock. My fiance had left me, he was gone.

"Harry?" I leaned over him and shook his shoulders. "Harry?!" I shook him some more. "Harry! No, no, no! Don't leave me! Harry!" I started to whimper.

"Harry! No! No! No- ooo!" I burst into tears as I leaned on his chest. "No!"

* * *

Final Version:

Hook:

After the Trident Stone was destroyed, life was expected to carry on peacefully, but unexpected turns will get in the way.

(Strong language and mature content.)

Disclaimer: Rita and Dr. Mitch Ross are shipped extensively.

* * *

Chapter 1

 _Click, click, click._ The sounds of my heels are music to my ears each day when I walk through these halls. My job has become quite uneventful since I've learned to avoid water fairly well. Holding stacks of binders has become too easy for me as well as keeping order of the teachers and students. But now that my tedious routine is interrupted, I have something to look forward to after the almost endless-feeling week. Mitch is taking me on a date for our first year anniversary of meeting each other. I still hate that I can't remember anything after idiotically laughing for no reason in front of him. He actually doesn't know about my secret… yet and has no idea why I was acting that way. It still is a complete struggle to keep him distant yet so close. I want him to know about who I truly am but I'm afraid of how he will react. I can't predict if he will send me to the marine biology institute or let me be in peace. I have a strong feeling that he'll accept anything we go through. I've decided to tell him when the time is right, I just need to know when it's time.

My mind wanders mostly when I'm walking to meetings, the direction to the conference room has just become muscle memory. On my right, I walked by a glass case with sports trophies and slowed down just enough to glance at my hair and outfit. I inspected quickly, nodded, and proceeded to step through the door on the left at the end of the hall. I wasn't at all surprised to see that I was the first one to arrive. I shut the door behind me and sat down at the front of the rectangular table. I opened my binder and scribbled some notes for my ideas I wanted to present. I looked up at the clock bolted to the wall and watched the minute hand tick by. I started to get anxious for the other teachers to walk in so I scouted the room for something to do. A water jug caught my eye, I smirked and reached out my hand. With a small flick of my wrist, the jug started to rattle until it spewed a fountain of water towards me. I didn't plan for it to jump at me but just twist around for my mear entertainment. I instinctively ducked under the table as the water hit the wall. The water streamed down in drops to only be absorbed by the carpet floor. Just as I looked up, Mr. Goldt, Mrs. Penatory, and Miss Lively walked in as they were chatting.

"Ms. Santos, why are you on the floor?" Mr. Goldt asked. I frantically looked for an excuse.

"Um… I was looking for my… pen, I dropped it." I searched for something on the floor, but I failed. I stood up and nervously smiled at them. "I'll just use a different one."

They hesitated but sat down at the table afterwards.

"So, Ms. Santos, how are you?" Miss Sarah Lively cheerfully asked. I sat down and straightened out my neutral-colored skirt.

"I'm doing fine, and you?" I responded.

"We were just discussing if we could ever celebrate your birthday in the teacher's lounge." She looked over at the two. "Unfortunately, you never told us when it was. If you don't mind, when is it?"

I wasn't thinking and blurted out, "On the full third moon." My eyes widened. That was a mistake, humans don't count by moons. I haven't ever thought to search up when that was. I only knew that four hundred sixty nine full moons had gone by.

"Oh, I didn't know you counted by moons, what a very unique thing. When exactly is that?"

I stopped and thought, "I don't actually know." I said, I dropped my head down and stared at the floor for a moment.

"Alright then… so Nicole," Sarah shifted her head towards Mrs. Penatory. "Should we begin discussing our plans for our teaching methods?" I looked back up as they chatted a bit more. I tuned out of the conversation and observed the mannerisms that they constantly showed. Richard Goldt always reached for the side of his head to scratch it, Nicole licked her chapped lips continuously, and Sarah's finger twitched rhythmically on the table. I assumed she was unintentionally tapping her fingers to a song in her mind. As I watched them talk, the minutes flew by without my acknowledgement, more teachers started to arrive. The staff were beginning to collaborate or chat about students. I decided to speak, I stood up from my chair.

"Good afternoon, staff." I paused and dropped my head slightly. "I apparently have some very troubling news, the school district is experiencing many funding problems for our schools." The spirit in the room dropped, I pursed my lips. "The most I can cut from our system is some electives, although by staff vote." I said.

"Let's begin then." Mrs. Reed said as I sat back down. For each department at least one elective was voted out. It was hard to know communities were ready to fall apart due to bankruptcy and teachers about to lose their jobs. Each time someone rose their hand, I shook my head. After writing down each voted electives, I stood up.

"It is a major disappointment to watch enjoyable electives disappear, but the district is coming to a confirmed decision at the end of the semester." I sighed. "If I have any notable information, I will inform you all." I nodded, picked up my papers, and tapped them on the table into a neat stack. Everyone took that as an ending signal and began to pack up. I opened the door for the staff and waited until they left, afterwards I followed behind. I quickly went to my office in the other block to collect my bag and lock the door. As I was leaving the school, I passed through the halls where the detention center was, I could hear voices coming from the room.

"Oh my god, Ms. Santos is really bitchy, I think she picks on me just because I fought Diana. The only reason I socked her was 'cause she called me a slut." A voice rang out from the room, it sounded familiar like the girl that I sent to detention for swearing at a staff member, Nevaeh Williams.

"I heard she's a robot, she's emotionless. I don't think she has feelings." A boy added. I heavily sighed, although I promised myself not to let any comments affect me, it was very hard not to reflect on them. I saw five students, sitting on the desks or turned-around chairs. They were laughing until they saw me walk by. I looked straight forward and avoided their stares. I was only going to focus on getting home.

I remember Harry taking me on the freeway for the first time, I was so frightened that we were going to die. I understand that it's funny now as I reflect on it more than it was when I was actually there. Holding on to his arm as tightly as I could was all I could remember, my eyes were red and sore from trying to close them. I never saw the road until we got to the wildlife sanctuary in Currumbin. When he brought me inside the building, I saw animals that the pod have probably never imagined in their lives. I would have gone to the pod and told everyone about the new animals I learned about. I never got the chance to tell anyone until it was too late after they banished me.

"Asshole! You cut me off!" I yelled, I was about to go until a woman cut me off. I had to wait for the light to turn green again. I wanted to break her car down, but the more I thought about doing it the more I lifted my hand and twisted it. The woman's car started to slow down, it took me a moment to realize that this wasn't right. I lowered my hand as the woman sped away, I usually don't act in anger. I'm mostly patient but this time I felt something wasn't holding me back, something was missing. I shrugged off my suspicions and continued to drive.

I turned on to my street and pulled up to the hill on which I lived. I walked up the steep incline, although supported with stairs, and to the gate that was all too familiar. The door was the last obstacle to finishing the trip home, I sighed at the knowledge of Harry's hard work put into the building of this 'castle.' Harry bought the lot when we were dating, I didn't know that he did until he brought me to see the place when it was half complete. By the time we were engaged, the house was already finished. When he passed away, the house was handed over to me, his family didn't know what to do with it when it's four hours away from them.

I opened the door and ascended up the stairs. I threw my bag onto the kitchen island and slipped off my heels. I looked at the clock on the wall, I had about an hour to get ready for Mitch when he arrived at seven. I stood still for a minute to think and in an instant I went to my bedroom. To my right was my walk-in closet, I turned on the light to expose all my clothes and a extravagantly decorated, wooden chest with gold markings. I slowly approached it and opened it, dropping dust behind it as well as revealing my old collection of dresses. I pulled out dozens of beautiful sparkling gowns, but a dark red dress caught my eye, I held it up in front of me and studied how elegant it looked. I folded the other dress and placed them back in the chest. I found my almost-ancient vanity in the corner and I placed the dress on the back of the seat. After I sat down, I decided that it was the perfect time to open the box of makeup that I stored in its drawer. I lifted the lid and lightly brushed on some gold eyeshadow. I put on a light red color of lipstick and closed the box. I stood up from the chair and put on the dress. I found a pair of black heels under a few coats and a black handbag with shells sewn into the fabric.

The half empty bottle of lily oil perfume was one of the last finishing touches. I slipped on the shoes and gracefully walked out of the bathroom, I hadn't ever worn the shoes in my life. I bought them while in mind that I would wear them on Harry and I's honeymoon in Italy; apparently, I never did. I passed by the mirror pressed up against the wall adjacent to my bed. I stood in front of it, shifting my body to the side, making sure every inch from top to bottom was okay. I found my purse lying on the bed, I transferred only the necessary things I needed into the small handbag. I smiled with a nod, walked into the hallway only to see Mimmi and Sirena set down some shopping bags on my kitchen counter.

"Oh. Hi, Rita!" Sirena gleefully said. I approached the two and smiled. Mimmi sat down on one of the stool.

"Rita, you look great." Mimmi looked me up and down.

"Thank you… So what did you girls do today?" I asked, they faced each other for a moment. Mimmi nodded at Sirena, hinting her to speak.

"We went to the pod, Aquata just became a mermaid school teacher and Ondina is the assistant." She giggled. "We got the impression she didn't really enjoy it." Mimmi adjusted on the seat and faced me.

"We also went shopping since I got paid on Wednesday." Mimmi smiled.

"Oh yeah!" Sirena turned around and pulled out a floral patterned dress from a pink bag. She held it against her body to show me.

"It's lovely, I know you always find the most wonderful outfits." I said to her.

"Thanks." She grinned from ear to ear, just as I always found pleasure in her bright smiles. "Anyway, Rita why are you so dress up? What kind of date are you going on with Dr. Ross?"

"Oh, Mitch… it's our one year anniversary of being boyfriend and girlfriend." I paused. "Although, strangely I have no clue where he's taking me for dinner, I must have forgotten where he said it was going to be." I pursed my lips, Mimmi tilted her head in response. As I opened my mouth to speak, the doorbell rang. "Oh, that'll be him!" I grinned. I made my way down two steps before I turned around. "Try not to get into trouble, but if you do, call me." They nodded. "Alright, be safe." I descended down the rest of the stairs and opened the door.

"Hello, beautiful." Mitch said, he kissed me on the cheek. As he leaned over, I heard a crunching of tissue paper. "What's that?" I asked. He stood upright and pulled a gift bag from behind his back.

"Here," He handed me the gift with a smile, I reached inside and felt a cold shape. I pulled it out with one hand.

"Oh. Um, it's a...mermaid." I nervously chuckled as I held the small, blue, glass mermaid sculpture in my hands.

"Is it okay? If you don't like it, I can always get you something else." He asked with concern.

"No! No, it's lovely. Thank you." I reached to kiss him on the cheek. "I'll put it on the kitchen table." I rushed back up the stairs and placed the bag and gift on the kitchen counter. Mimmi and Sirena, still in the same place, exchanged whispers. I went back to Mitch and looked up at him.

"I have a plan for where we're going for dinner." He grinned.

"So I'm not forgetful after all, I thought I'd forgotten what you said." I laughed.

"Shall we go?" He asked followed by him reaching out his arm. With the response of my hand curling around his bicep, I heard a rhythm of footsteps from the top of the stairs. I looked up and saw Mimmi and Sirena wave. "Bye, girls."

We walked down the hill to his parked car. We got in his car and drove to down the road as the sunset brushed against the world, giving everything an orange tint. I laid my head on the side of the window and felt the vibrations of the car engine. I felt the warm sun touch my face as if it kissed me goodbye.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Hi, I'm back, I've been hovering above you in spirit, giggling waiting for your reaction to every little nasty, uncomfortable detail. Nah, but I just want to ramble now about how I've spent so much of my time, in which I could have been doing something with my life, just typing and deleting and acting out BUT MOSTLY deleting. (I put acting out, didn't I? crap.) So where do I start, oh yeah. I'll just put all the shitty plots that have come out of the glop in my skull down below. Most of these shitty ideas come from holding in farts. Don't hold in your farts, kids, 'cause that's how stupid people are born! (Oh my fucking god, that was a horrible joke. I probably offended so many people just now.) ANywAy…

Copy and Paste.

WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK PLOTS

Rita and Mitch start off the story with the first date which is rita and mitch have to drive to his house after the reservations for the restaurant get messed up, rita takes off her nice coat and mitch cooks a nice salmon dinner and they sit at the small table, Mitch also has a small apartment just because he had to move there because of the marine park job which he will explain to ritabecause YOU CAN NOT HAVE A SMALL APARTMENT IF YOU ARE RICH AF and mitch smiles and asks if she wants to play a game she's like WTF OK and mitch explains, "answer small funny question and relate stories to them" he starts asking about her childhood, "what was the funniest thing you ever did to a friend when you were a kid?" Rita thinks about it for a while and comes up with "I remember swimming on the reef with my friend and I picked up a crab and it pinch her... foot. We surfaced and I started laughing and she was splashing me. I remember it like it was yesterday." Mitch smiles as rita giggles. Rita then asks Mitch about what he did near the ocean as a kid. Mitch tells her that he would go to the beach with his parents and he would pick up small sea snails, shells, and crabs and take them home to study them. Rita frowns and doesn't like how he took them home, they belong in the wild. Mitch looks at rita and senses that he said something wrong. Rita asks if her ever put them back, Mitch says no. Rita is like, "ok then." Mitch then asks why she never goes near the water anymore and that she always avoids when he asks her about going to the beach and she is like, "I just don't like the water, I'll go on the sand just not in the water, I was in an accident, I got swept out one day and it scared me so I've been afraid ever since." Mitch is concerned and rita explains to the reader that she just uses that excuse for everything. "Tell you what… we'll go to the beach this weekend near your house and we'll face the waves together." Rita freaks and is like, "mitch another time ok?" He agrees, he asks if they want to watch a movie, he says he tiramisu in the fridge, he takes it out and rita is like ok, she tries it she likes it and she sits on his couch and mitch comes with the plate of cake and she asks what they're going to watch , then OH OH OH THERE'S ONE PARAGRAPH WHERE IT"S IN HIS PERSPECTIVE! He says that he might put on a scary movie because he read that the girl is going to cuddle up next to you because they are scared. But when he shows her the movie she's all like WTF IS THAT? and he's like okaaaaayyyyy…. she's never heard of this so um wtf do i do? So he picks out a romance movie from the states, AGE OF ADALINE cause you know stuff, it just came out on freaking dvd. and Rita likes the movie and connects with it,can't tell a secret… awwwww. and then she listens to quotes from the movie and you get a sense about what it is. Rita starts to tear up in the car chase scene where adaline is crying and running away because she's exposed and Mitch asks why rita is cry and rita says she isn't crying and Mitch wraps his arms around her. They cuddle closer AWWWW and after the movie they're sitting on the couch. Mitch looks at rita and they gaze into each other's eyes, they're looking up and down at each other because rita is like cuddled up next to him rita says, "Mitch if I ever needed you to trust me, would you?" or something romantic like that. "Now why would you say something like that? I trust you already, anything you say, I put faith into. I already trust you with my love, is there anymore to ask?" AWWW something like that. THAT QUOTE IS F-ING BEAUTIFUL ANyway Mitch and rita kiss and then it become a long kiss THEN IT BECOMES MIMMI AND CHRIS TYPEKISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGG and then rita's LOVE POTION is activated. (NEED TO DELETE ENTIRE BEDROOM SCENE TO ON THE F-ING FLOOR/COUCH. EVIL LAUGH* BAHHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA) Scene cuts to morning, on the floor the small couch throw on the floor and Mitch sleeping next to her. Oh…..(rita's reaction) SHIT. SHe tries to get up and puts her hand on the coffee table but sticks her hand in cake from last night and she \'s like "oh crap." and she turns into a mermaid and she falls back onto the ground on her face. ABHAAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAAHAA and like mitch hears the thud and wakes up and turns around but rita is in her invisibility and hides. "Rita?" MItch stands up as he puts on his clothes. And rita is like EWWWW WTF. And turns her head in the opposite direction. Rita tries to scoot away but then MItch walks and trips over her. ABHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAH and Rita yelps, "OWW!" And mitch falls on his face. and freaks out cause no one is there and he turns around and rita is like trying to scoot away still. MItch is like, "RITA?! WHERE TF ARE YOU?!" And she still tries to scoot away until mitch waves his hand in the spot where he tripped and smacks Rita in the head pounding her head into the floor. He hand is knocked out of her invisibility as her nose starts to bleed from getting knocked into the floor. BHAahbahAAHAHAAHAHAHHA and Rita is like, "OOOOWWW!" And holding her nose. "WTF WAS ThAT FOR?!" out of anger. And Mitch is just, "WTF ARE YOU?! OMG HOLY SHIT!" and rita freaks out and tries to hide again but her head hurts from the nose bleed. So she just lays there and she's like, "mitch remember that trust I asked about, well here's where you can keep your word." And mitch freaks out and is like, "YOU LIED TO ME HOW CAN I TRUST YOU NOW!" and rita just weakly looks up at him, "Mitch, just…. I'll explain."

Main points Rita and Mitch Ross become a mother and father unexpectedlyMimmi and Cam get together but Chris returns and Cam and him start fightingNixie and Lyla return and they die in a car crash

Mitch and Rita's story: Rita and Mitch are going to have their one year anniversary at a fancy restaurant in the city, the restaurant has trouble and can't get them a table for like two hours, they leave and go to Mitch's apartment, they have a nice dinner and Mitch offers her some wine, Rita refuses Mitch insists (alcohol makes a mermaid crazy) She wakes up in his bed "bare" while he is still sleeping, she sorta pets his hair like Poseidon is there but she feels his face, she freaks out and paces across the room, she sees her clothes on the floor and she goes into the bathroom. Mitch wakes up and calls to Rita, "What are you doing?" "Wishing I could drown myself, but I can't." Mitch walks into the bathroom and finds Rita eyes closed in the water, she was in her tail, she looked like she wasn't breathing, she turned her head towards him and opened her eyes slowly to see Mitch jump. He starts to freak out and ask her like a million questions. She leans her head against the back of the wall. "Mitch what did we do last night?" (Last verse)

Rita's story: She starts to get small sharp pains in her stomach and head during meetings and stuff. She shrugs them off for about half a month, (potion thing hasn't been resolved, still ages as if a regular 32 year old) she then gets a large pain in her side and runs to the bathroom only to throw up in the toilet bowl. She unbuttons her shirt and only exposes her white bra. She gets up, has a small panic about if she's pregnant, because she has heard of it but never thought that a mermaid could ever get pregnant and she starts to doubt it. She gets herself fixed backup and doesn't tell Mitch or anybody about it and goes to the drugstore in a thin coat with a hood. She sneaks into the aisle with pregnancy tests and pulls one off of the shelf. A staff member walks by and sees a glimpse of Rita's face. Rita starts to rush a little, pick up her pace, and pay for it and try to get out of there as fast as she could. Rita hopes that the staff member saw nothing.

AUTHOR'S NOTE (RANT) CONTINUATION

Finally... I think I've finished putting all the parts together. It's 4am and I'm playing really relaxing songs so I don't lose my sanity to the silence of night. I'm feeling quite awake for some crappy reason but whatever. Oh, I forgot to mention, this is where I explain what was going on in my head while writing this disturbing story. Where do I start…

1: A year or so after Season 2 came out, (I was obsessed with Rita when Season 1 came out, so it's been since I can remember) I started to imagine Rita and Dr. Ross going on a date. After that it turned into, NAH I'M KIDDING AS FUCK! After watching "Meeting Rita" in Season 1, I always imagined Harry and Rita's damn kid. HAHAHAHH. I'm not those people who gradually works their way from idea to idea, I jump straight into VERY odd things. Don't get me started on Miss Raine from Dance Academy. Just don't. EVER. It will never end. So I've had pregnant Rita in the back of my mind since Season 1. I just needed someone NOT DEAD to be the father. (:Y) SOOO that's when Jonathan M. Shiff decides to throw a random episode in there where Rita gets one shot at a love life with this handsome man. In Season 3, SPOILERS AHEAD, Jon just decides to never touch the subject again and that pisses me off BIG TIME. Instead at a shot at love life, Jon makes Rita QUIT HER DAMN PRINCIPAL JOB and be a free FISH HOBO. Also in addition to that, she takes a cup of tea on accident and turns into a FREAKIN' ELDERLY AMNESIA-OTIC (that's not even a word, that's how pissed I am) BOZO! #&E(! $&! ! Yeah, Dr. Ross didn't even see Rita ever in the new season. I cried, I was so ready for this season, but they left so many damn questions. NOT JUST with the plot but WITH MY SHIP, MY BEAUTIFUL SHIP! Fuck it, I'm just going to get myself a life now.

2: OK HOLY SHIT. So Before this entire one pager used to only be two versions, I just found my computer's trash and I found the very first copy that I transferred over to Quotev, the first fanfic website I knew. When I was on Quotev, I thought lots of people were on it, hahaha, I was so naive. That website gets NOBODY. So I was such a newbie to writing stuff and stories, I didn't know how to just think like Rita, I only saw Rita as a character, I didn't know how to be absolutely obsessed with Rita and Kerith, I know how to step into her shoes and act like her. I treat her and her character so differently now. So the first version you see was what I produced from seven nights of winter break. OMG, a post-panic of laying all over Mitch was going to have a hangover, I thankfully scrapped the idea.

3: Version 2, I was planning to make Rita younger with a potion, but it was too much considering there was already an episode of her acting young. I can't just recycle that same potion, the girls would obviously not even try to touch the same ingredients that they used for that lotion. Chapter 2 was just full of random crap just to fill up the time gap of getting to third period. There was no significance to wasting your time with Rita messing with teenagers and being having bitchy Trumble be basically BITCHY to Rita. Chapter 3… yeah. This was suppose to get Rita to try to fix the potion, make it worse and create another spell, the love potion. I don't know why I needed another potion for her, I didn't know if 44 year olds could still get laid. (HAHAHA my innocent mind, where did it go….) That would make Rita go "googoo?" over Mitch and eventually make their children. (Oh my god, seeeee, I put too much effort into this shit, you better not put any dumb crap in my comments…) I gave her super hearing, so I could write a scene where she hazily walks out of a classroom. I'M SO sorry I wasted everyone's time with unnecessary events that make no difference to the plot. OH SHIT, it's 5am. Um… long story short, I had to rewrite a lot of snippets and most of the time I could have used writing, I used editing and making each snippet perfect. TOTAL WASTE OF TIME. Oh, with the birth scene confusion, I wrote the post labor scene after listening (don't ask) to my teacher talk about how she went through 36 hours of labor (uncommon cases) before having her son so I had to rethink making Rita have her kids in an hour. I was going to carry the worsening of contractions over the course of a day, eventually having her children in the early hours of the morning. Evie and Zac were going to show up through the Grotto that afternoon to say hi and congrats.

4: OH OH OH! I tried to write book 2 before I barely started writing book 1. Lyla was going to die and fuck, here's the damn plot line.

Chris and Cam start fighting for the hand of Mimmi. Cam starts fighting Chris but then Lyla and Nixie come back, they are in the car with Rita and Sirena. Going to dinner and they get in a side collision. Lyla dies 13 hours after from bleeding out. Nixie gets hurt badly, Sirena is ok but bruised and helps de mermaids away from the car crash scene and helps them go back to Rita's house. Zac, Cam, David come after Sirena calls them to come help on Rita's phone, Rita is still awake but barely and is going to fall asleep and she hears Sirena on phone whimpering and crying. RIta is flung upside down while Lyla is dying, and Nixie is passed out. Rita is out on the floor. She almost passes out but she hears the boys and they pick her up and sit her in a different car. She sees lyla and nixie in the back of the car and zac is driving and she passes out. Sirena, Cam, and David are going to solve the car accident problem and lie and Sirena was in the front, Cam and David were in the back and they were fine.

Ok, I'm so sorry this had to come to you in such a crazy one pager, I mean, it wasn't that bad, confusing but you see my idea. I just wish that everything I see in my head could just turn into words or a little movie outside of my skull. I can't just get Kerith Atkinson and Paul Bishop to reenact the crap going on in my brain, it would be very awkward. VERY. Alright, I love you all.

Don't be tainted like I am, kids (even though I'm probably like the same age) FIND YOURSELF A LIFE, KIDS!

Peace,

MB

Dear Reader/s,

A request given by one of you suggested that I put my crazy, hectic collection of snippets together. I finally got fed up with the war between summer laziness and my motivation to do random shit at the most awkward time span of 2-4am. I kept putting "fix fanfic" on every to do list of each day since the day I stopped getting homework. If you're a new reader, GOOD FREAKIN' LUCK. Before Season 3 of Mako RUINED ALL of my hopes of the love story between Ross and Rita, I wrote this fanfic of them having the last shot at having kids and getting married. I did so much goddamn research at 6am before school about "what are the odds of a 44 year old having children in one go?" (No, I didn't actually Google that, but I researched everything about Rita and Kerith) I hope this story haunts your subconscious so I can get talk about it and how it's the weird side of the internet. (I'm just the border of the "weird side" you've probably seen my profile on the MM Instagram Fandom.) ROSSSITAAAA! (Yeah, you know me.) OK, HOLY SHIT, I should just shut the fuck up and do an author's note.

BUHAHAAAH enjoy :)

Original Version (4am winter break writes):

Rita and Dr. Mitch Ross. The school is staring at her... Waking up in his bed hungover… Mermaid, merman, or human? This is a story you don't want to miss. (Rated M, strong language and mature content).

This is a story about Rita and Mitch. I totally shipped it, sadly it was short-lived. (Harry is Rita's long-dead fiance {refresher} and I found Mitch's name in H20 on his name tag) Okay, Enjoy! :)

 **CHAPTER 1**

It's been a month since the pod has come back, I'm glad that the girls can see everyone again. I'm proud of them for trying so hard to bring them back. The Mermaid Council has allowed me to return, but I turned the offer down. My life is on land now, besides I have been on a few dates with Mitch. He is so sweet, but I'm still embarrassed by what I did while I was under the girls' potion, that was basically my first impression. I don't remember but they told me that I acted like a ten year old, I must have been ridiculous. I think we both are interested in each other, but I feel awkward when I'm around him. He makes me feel like when Harry was around. I don't think I'll tell Mitch about Harry, it's just very awkward. I think I'll keep it until the time is right, I _do_ want to be with him.

All I can think of was last night. Mitch called me on the phone, he asked me if I wanted to go to dinner in the evening with him in the city. I couldn't turn him down at all, I love seeing him. I know that if I go I could risk getting wet but I've had a lot of experience, what could go wrong. I walked into the Grotto and I was greeted by the girls making something with a few crushed shells on my spell table.

"Good morning, girls! Looks like you have been busy, what are you making?" I asked Mimmi and Sirena.

"We're experimenting based on some potion recipes with some things we found on the reef last week." Sirena answered. She broke a small piece of coral in half and placed it in a bowl.

"I'm going for a swim, it's still early morning, I have time." I told them, I smiled. They looked at each other in confusion, they started to giggled.

"You're in a good mood. Are you going on a date with Dr. Ross?" Mimmi asked.

"What's wrong with that? Well... he did ask me to dinner." I looked down at my hands blushing.

"Actually, Rita, that's good!" Don't worry we'll clean up when we're done. Now go have fun." Sirena smiled at me. "Oh, and by the way, Ondina is at the Moon Pool, she decided to sleep in."

"Ok, then I'll avoid her while she's grumpy." I headed up the steps to the tunnel entrance. "Bye, girls."

"Bye, Rita!" Sirena and Mimmi said. Then they went back to what they were doing.

I walked up to the pool, took off my shoes, and dipped my legs in. It felt good to get out of legs, so I swam out onto the reef. I started to think about what I would wear tonight. Then, I remembered the first time Mitch asked me to do something with him. It was the day Mimmi came to the Marine Park with me. When we were walking to fill out some paperwork for the elective class, he asked me if I wanted to go to lunch with him so that we could get to know each other better. I let my guard down and agreed faster than I could think of what possibilities may happen. I felt excited when he asked me. We stared at each other and kept smiling, it was so uncomfortable. From that moment, I knew that I liked Mitch.

I came back from my swim into the entrance. I pulled myself out of the water and dried my tail off. I got up from the ground and went back into the Grotto to get my work bag. It was behind the spell table, I assumed that the girls weren't done with their potion and went to gather more ingredients. I was trying to be smart about avoiding the mixture from being messed up so I bent under the table to grab my bag. I pulled the handles of the bag, but I hit my head on the table. I hoped that nothing happened, but I was wrong, the glass bottle with purple liquid tipped over and started to drip on my arm. I quickly stood back up and put the bottle back where it was. I saw the purple liquid on my arm, so I tried to rub it off as much as I could. I hoped that nothing bad would happen to me. I slung my bag onto my arm and rushed out of the Grotto to work. I started to wonder why it didn't make me fall into my tail. That worried me into thinking that something happened when it dripped on me. I wished that it wouldn't effect my date.

 **CHAPTER 2**

I was walking to my office, when Tina walked down the hall. Tina was amazing in her interview, I could tell she wanted this job very much. She professionally dressed up each day, pulling her hair into a ponytail, and completing her confident look with faux diamond covered, black flats.

"Good Morning, Principal Santos," She brushed her brown, wavy bangs out of her face. I could tell she was a little nervous. She was holding a clipboard and a pen.

"Good Morning, Miss Bailey," I replied.

"Um... I wondering... uh, the swim team would like... if you could coach for today's practice," She stuttered. "if that's ok with you."

"Miss Bailey, I'm sorry but I'm a little busy today, maybe I can help another time?" I gave her a disappointed look.

"I thought it would come to this," I heard Tina mumble under her breath. I unlocked my door and look at her confused.

"the swim team actually has no choice on a substitute today while Coach Norris is sick." She continued.

"Can the team call in a staff member by the end of the day?" I asked, hoping that I could get around the situation.

"All the available substitutes are needed in different classes and I am tutoring students in math classes." She explained, I knew I had no other choice but have to go near that pool today.

"Ok, Miss Bailey, I'll fill in for Mr. Norris." I smiled at her. I silently sighed, this spelled trouble.

"Oh! Thank you, Principal Santos. I will tell the swim team." She nodded. I walked into my office and sorted the new papers on my desk. Today was going to be long.

I had just finished up a parent conference five minutes before the last bell of the day rang. I knew I had twenty minutes before I had to go to the swim practice. I had a feeling that I was going to have some sort of trouble during all of it. I put some paperwork into my bag and walked out of my office. I turned around and put the keys into the lock but I stopped. I let go of the keys and stepped back from the door, I felt my back hit the wall behind me. I stared at the keys as they swayed. I felt weak and tired, so I started to slide down the wall onto my knees. I kept staring at the keys as they moved slower and slower. I sat down and I tilted my head, my eyes felt no urge to stay open. I started to feel powerless over motion, then I fell into a paralyzed sleep.

I opened my eyes, it felt like I must have been unconscious for eternity. I was sitting down with my back against the wall and my legs straight out and on top of each other in front of me. I realized that I felt energized and fully awake. I got up still unstable but functional. I locked the office door and grabbed my bag off of the floor. I thought I would be late for the practice so I looked at my watch. I must've wasted at least ten to fifteen minutes asleep. Strangely, I still had nineteen minutes to get ready for it. I was scared by the thought of why I passed out on the floor in front of my office. I couldn't place my mind on why for some reason, I knew that I had a possible reason but I couldn't remember it. I decided to resolve the issue after the swim practice, so I cleared my mind and focused on my main priority. I walked down the office hall and out to the courtyard halls. I saw Mrs. Trumble and I didn't want to deal with her so I pulled out a binder in my bag and buried my face in it. I hoped that she would pass by without acknowledging me, but of course I was wrong and she stopped.

"Principal Santos." She gave me a fake smile. I rolled my eyes and closed the binder in my hands.

"Hello, Mrs. Trumble." I looked at her and gave her a fake grin in exchange. When she looked at me, her face looked as if she had just seen a ghost. Her stiff posture dropped and she backed away from me slowly.

"Mrs. Trumble, you were saying," I tried to catch her eye and I looked at her like she was going crazy.

"Principal Santos, I don't know what kind of formula you have used but you are looking very different." She kept looking at me in disbelief. "Were you using any sort of rejuvenating face cream or treatment something over the break?"

"Are you joking with me?" I looked at her, shaking me head.

"No, actually, I am so sorry for all the times I had be extremely rude to you." Mrs. Trumble was starting to spook me. "What's your secret?" She asked me as she observed my face. I kept shaking me head, all I could think was that she was kidding.

"Mrs. Trumble, if you have nothing important to discuss, will you excuse me." I walked around her. I had no idea what she was talking about, but the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to see my face. I looked behind me and she was still standing there, looking puzzled. That scared me so I rushed to the swimming pool. I hoped that there would be some kind of glass so I could see my reflection. I decided that I would try to find a mirror or glass along the way, but I kept being crowded by students. I looked at my watch, I only had six minutes to get there. I somehow manage to get myself on the other side of the school. I couldn't run in these shoes so I pulled off my heels and ran across campus, I had no idea why I took off my shoes because I could have stepped in water. Also, I thought it was odd that I didn't care what anyone thought of me running barefoot. I had a familiar moment when I was younger, I remember running away from Harry without saying goodbye on one of our dates. I took off my high heels and ran to the beach, I knew that I had very little time to get back to Mako Island before the pod would find out that I had been gone. I felt as if this was usual for me to run, but I was in a time crunch and I had to be at that practice.

 **CHAPTER 3**

I made it to the swimming pool just as the team was getting ready. The team looked at me as I slipped my heels back on. They all gave me the same puzzled face, just as Mrs. Trumble did. The pressure of staring eyes got to me, and I cracked. I walked up to Thomas Dimhaul.

"Thomas, why is everyone staring at my face, what's wrong with it?" I asked calmly. Thomas looked scared to answer me. I probably wasn't going to get a straight answer.

"No, nothing... Ms. Santos. You...you look ok." He stuttered. I let out a frustrated sigh. I asked him a simple question and I got a useless answer that didn't even make sense.

"Thank you, Thomas." I blew steam from my nose in frustration, I smiled at him and walked away. I reached in my bag for my whistle and I sat it on the bench.

"Good Afternoon, Miss Bailey most likely informed you that I would be filling in for Mr. Norris. So, I am going to start you off with a small exercise." I raised my voice. I noticed that some of them were whispering, I was starting to get annoyed by how awkward this all was. "Let's start by doing laps ." I blew the whistle and set the timer. I couldn't wait until this was all over, I needed to see my face.

After an hour of swimming practice, I blew the whistle, I felt relieved that nothing wrong happened.

"Ok, good work everybody! You will be seeing Coach Norris tomorrow." I decided to be patient and wait until everyone was gone. I walked to the bench and picked up my bag. I turned around and I saw Thomas rapped up in a towel, he started to walk towards me.

"Principal Santos, um... would I get in trouble if I told you honestly. It's about... about your face." He looked at me nervously.

"No, Thomas. It would really be helpful though." I told him. I smiled, I finally could get an answer.

"You look younger and like someone at this school, like a student or something. It's really creepy, like you're in old people clothes but you look too young." He stared at my clothes and scratched his head.

"Oh... thank you, Thomas." * _Really. (T_T)_ * I disappointedly look at him and gestured for him to go back inside. I forgot about the water situation very quickly, I had to see my face now. I picked up my pace alongside the pool but in the corner of my eye I could see the puddles of water glistening on the edge. I was glad that I wasn't stepping on them. Just as I thought about it, my heel slipped, I tried to keep my balance but it was too late, I slide across the ground. I threw my bag and it fell onto ledge, I fell into the pool. My ignorance got the best of me, I transformed into my tail ten seconds after hitting the water. I swam back up to the surface and looked around. I didn't see anyone around so I swam back down into the water. I sat at the bottom of the pool and let my mind process all the things that happened. I sat there for a while until I realized that this was nothing and I have been through worse than this so I swam up to the pool ledge. I threw myself onto the side and I dried my tail off. All of this must have taken ten minutes of my time. I stood up, but I felt a sudden urge to cry. I was getting confused by all these emotions, so I grabbed my bag off of the floor and _walked_ to the nearest staff's bathroom. I saw a sign on the door that said, " _closed for repair."_ "This day just got utterly horrible!" I mumbled to myself.I threw my arms up in frustration and ran up to an awards shelf.

"Finally!" I looked at my face in the reflection. _My eyes, my lips, my nose, my cheeks._ All my wrinkles near my eyes and forehead were gone, all my indents in my neck and cheeks have seemed to disappear. How could I not notice my hands?! They were smooth and perfect. I looked like I was in my late twenties. I was so disturbed by my appearance that I screamed. I kept touching my face and wondering if I really was dreaming all of it. I turned around and was faced by the astronomy club, they jump back from me and rushed down the hall. I was so scared about this but still so fascinated by my sudden age phenomenon. I excitedly rushed back home

Second Version:

Chapter 1

It's been a year since the pod has come back, I'm glad that the girls can see everyone again. I'm proud of them for trying so hard to bring them back. The Mermaid Council has allowed me to return, but I turned the offer down. My life is on land now, besides I've been with Mitch, the sweetest boyfriend I could ever have. I remember when we first met, we were suppose to be professional about our meeting to discuss the marine biology elective but I couldn't help but blush and stare at him. We couldn't stop smiling at each other, we both felt this _spark._ You know that kind of spark between two people when they first lay eyes on each other and you feel this connection even though you haven't spoken a word to them yet? A spark that you can't actually describe but you know what it feels like. I see him all the time and we date but I still feel awkward around him since I haven't told him about Harry or that I'm a fish.

It's our one year anniversary and Mitch called me last night. He made reservations at a restaurant in the city, I couldn't wait. I walked down into the Grotto and was greeted by the girls making something with a few crushed shells on my spell table.

"Good morning, girls! Looks like you've been busy, what are you making?" I asked Mimmi and Sirena.

"We're experimenting based on some potion recipes with some things we found on the reef last week." Sirena answered. She broke a small piece of coral in half and placed it in a wooden bowl.

"I'm going for a swim, it's still early morning and I have time." I told them, I smiled. They looked at each other in confusion, they started to giggled.

"You're in a good mood. Are you going on a date with Dr. Ross again?" Mimmi asked.

"Not just a date, but our one year anniversary." I looked down at my hands blushing.

"Really? Time really does fly on land just as sea. Don't worry we'll clean up when we're done. Now go have fun!" Sirena smiled at me. "Oh, and by the way, Ondina is out on the reef hanging out with her old friends in the pod."

"Well, she does have a lot of catching up to do." I joked, I headed up the steps to the tunnel entrance. "Bye, girls."

"Bye, Rita!" Sirena and Mimmi said. Then they went back to making their potion.

I walked up to the pool, took off my shoes, and dipped my legs in. It felt relieving to get out of them and I swam out onto the reef. I started to think about what I would wear that night. Then, I remembered the first time Mitch asked me to do something with him.

It was early morning and Mitch was still 'Dr. Ross' to me. We were in my office signing papers for the elective.

"Ms. Santos, I wanted to bring up a question for a while," Dr. Ross started.

"The elective class is going to be a success, thank you for doing this, Dr. Ross." I un-intentionally avoided what he was going to say. He grinned, trying to hint me of his question."Oh! Oh... what was it that you wanted to ask me?" I asked. I looked down at the papers and back up at him.

"Yes, but I wanted to ask you if you would like to discuss things over lunch." He nervously smiled.

"About the elective?" I asked, unaware that I was being ignorant about the conclusion that he liked me.

"Yeah, about that," He paused. "I want to get to know you better, and not just about the elective." He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Are- are you asking me... on a date?" I questioned, I suddenly felt myself blush.

"Yes, if you're interested." He blushed intensively.

"Oh, I'd love to go!" I blurted out, I looked down stunned at the sudden reaction.

"I'm Mitch, by the way."

"Call me Rita."

I felt excited when he asked me, I forgot about my distant profile that I wanted to maintain, but I couldn't help it. We stared at each other and kept smiling, it was remarkably uncomfortable. From that moment, I knew I couldn't resist him even if I tried.

I came back from my swim into the entrance. I pulled myself out of the water and dried my tail off. I got up from the ground and went back into the Grotto to get my work bag. It was behind the spell table, I assumed that the girls weren't done with their potion and went to gather more ingredients. I was trying to be clever about avoiding the mixture from being messed up so I bent under the table to grab my bag. I pulled the handles of the bag but I hit my head on the table. I hoped that nothing happened, but I was wrong. The purple liquid filled, glass bottle on the table surface tipped over and started to drip on my arm. I quickly stood back up and put the bottle back where it was. I saw the purple mixture on my arm, so I tried to rub it off as much as I could. I assumed that nothing bad would happen to me. I slung my bag onto my arm and rushed out of the Grotto to work. I started to wonder why it didn't make me transform into my tail. That worried me into thinking that something happened when it dripped on me. I hoped that it wouldn't effect my date.

* * *

Chapter 2

I saw Tina scrambling across the hall as I was walking to my office. Tina was amazing in her interview, I could tell she wanted this job very much. She professionally dressed up each day, pulling her hair back, and completing her confident look with black, faux diamond covered flats.

"Good Morning, Principal Santos," She brushed her brown, wavy bangs out of her face. I could tell she was a little nervous. She was holding a clipboard and a pen.

"Good Morning, Miss Bailey," I replied.

"Um... I wondering... uh, the science class in block six actually needs a substitute... maybe, you could fill in just for one class?" She stuttered. "If that's okay with you."

"Miss Bailey, I'm sorry but I'm a little busy today," I gave her a disappointed look. "but I can next time."

"I thought it would come to this," I heard Tina mumble under her breath. I unlocked my door and turned to look at her.

"The science department doesn't have any other choice since Mrs. Baker left sick with a horrible cold." She continued. "They only need you for the third class since the substitute has a meeting to go to before third period."

"Can the department call in a staff member at break?" I asked, hoping that I could get around the situation. I didn't know why I wanted to not teach, I usually loved to see students get involved in their education. If it involved a large amount of water, I would have tried to avoid it, but this was nothing compared to that.

"There are no available substitutes at such short notice and I'm teaching my first marine biology class today." She explained, I knew I had no other choice but have to go.

"Okay, Miss Bailey, I'll fill in for Mrs. Baker." I smiled at her. I sighed, I didn't know the cause of this rebellion feel.

"Oh! Thank you, Principal Santos. I will tell the science department." She nodded.

I had just finished up a parent conference five minutes before the last bell of first period rang. I started to feel a slight headache, but I ignored it the best I could. As if by instinct, I had a feeling that I was going to have some sort of trouble during that class. I put some paperwork into my bag and walked out of my office. I turned around and put the keys into the lock but I stopped. I let go of the keys and stepped back from the door, I felt my back hit the wall behind me. I stared at the keys as they swayed. I felt weak and tired, so I started to slide down the wall onto my knees. I kept staring at the keys as they moved slower and slower. I sat down and I tilted my head, my eyes felt no urge to stay open. I started to feel powerless over motion, then I fell into a paralyzed sleep.

I opened my eyes, it felt like I must have been unconscious for eternity. I was sitting down with my back against the wall and my legs straight out and on top of each other in front of me. I realized that I felt energized and fully awake. I got up still unstable but functional, I pulled the keys out of the door lock and grabbed my bag off of the floor. I thought I would be late for second period so I looked at my watch. I must've wasted at least ten to fifteen minutes asleep, strangely, I had only wasted two minutes. I was scared by the thought of why I passed out on the floor in front of my office. I didn't know if it was mermaid-related or not. I decided to resume on the issue after I finished up my main task on hand. I walked down the hall and noticed that the pool wasn't being used. I felt an urge to swim, I looked around, no one was really paying attention to me so I snuck through the staff-only halls.

I made it to the pool area, I placed my bag under the bleachers and pulled out all of the clips in my hair. I threw them into the bag and shook my head to let my wavy curls fall onto my shoulders. I took off my heels and sat them out of sight next to my bag. I dived into the pool, embracing the cool water hitting my skin. My legs fused together into my tail. I swam to the surface and floated on my back. I stared at the cloud-filled, blue sky, and swayed my arms through the water. I had no idea why I wanted to go for a swim, I didn't care about the risks. I didn't care about where I was swimming. Sure, I maybe had a few small responsibilities throughout second period but I could handle it after school. I closed my eyes until I heard footsteps, I opened my eyes and swam down to the bottom of the pool.

"Here, we have the swimming pool area. This is where the school swim team practices each day." I heard a man say. I hid myself and peeked my eyes through the water. I watched as he guided young, incoming students.

"Mr. Davin, where can we sign up for clubs?" A student asked.

"Good question, Henry. We will discuss that on our way to the club signing area." Mr. Davin replied. I held my breathe and patiently waited for the tour group to leave. I watched as the students followed Mr. Davin outside of the pool area. I was about to climb out until I saw four kids still hanging around the gate. They broke away from the tour group and were chatting. They looked like trouble, one of the kids pointed at the pool and they started to take off their jackets. _Oh_ _no_ _you_ _don't_. I pulled myself up on the ledge and stuck out my hand, still hidden from plain sight. They started to walk towards the pool, I froze the floor as they stepped across the ground. The group stopped and looked around their feet. It was so unnatural that there was ice forming in seventy-seven degree weather.

"Ah! Guys, we have to go, this is weird!" One of the boys with blue streaks in his hair, shrieked looking down.

"Go! Go! Go, before we get in trouble!" The girl in the group threw the leather jackets at the boys.

They all ran outside of the pool gate and I giggled at their faces. I pulled myself out of the pool and dried myself off. I had no idea why I went to the pool. I pondered on my motivation to being unusually ridiculous. _What kind of principal takes a dip into the school swimming pool at second period?_ I picked up my things and straightened out my shirt and dress pants. I rushed to the science classrooms and found the room I was looking for. I waited in the corner, humming a song I learned long ago with the pod. I pulled out the binder in my bag and flipped through the pages. No one seemed to be around so I started to sing quietly as I read the schedule.

 _Crystal clear of ocean waves_

 _Float into our beautiful home of caves_

 _Swim to the deepest blue_

 _Find worlds that you never knew_

 _Watch the stars shine bright_

 _Over the world through the night_

 _Mermaids of our pod-_

"Singing, Ms. Santos," A voice rang out. _Oh, god!_ I jumped and closed the binder. _She heard me singing._ "Isn't going to do anything for this school right now." My long-despised enemy gave me her usual Cheshire Cat-like smile.  
"Mrs. Trumble," I acknowledged her unneeded and unwanted presence. I kept my head low underneath a large wavy lock of my hair. I _was_ relieved that I hadn't come across her all week, my spirits dropped significantly.

"I _still_ am considering grabbing the school board's attention over any foul mistake that can be marked up." She deviously shot at me. I looked up at her, hoping that I would cleverly come up with a smart comeback as soon as I met her eyes with mine. Instead, I met her eyes and she backed away from me.

"Mrs. Trumble, why are you doing that?" I paused. "Do I have something on my face?" I confusedly asked her.

"You-you…Somehow, you-you look _different._ " She stuttered, she studied my face as I raised an eyebrow at her unusual behavior.

"Mrs. Trumble, what? What are you talking about?" I shook my head.

"It's a good different. You must have used something, what kind of face cream did you use?" She asked, as if she was an old friend. "But, if your intentions were to scare me with your eye contacts, it didn't work." Her tone fell.

"What?" I shook my head. "Mrs. Trumble, if you have nothing important, will you excuse me. I have a class to substitute in matter of minutes." I sternly said.

"Fine, but next time I won't let things like this slide, Ms. Santos. I will find out what you're hiding." She walked away in defeat. I rolled my eyes I knew I could handle 'The Mad Trumble,' that made the earth quake under her feet, she wasn't exactly a major threat. I put my binder in my bag and turned around.

* * *

Chapter 3

The bell rang and students walked out of the room. I stepped inside and greeted the substitute that had to leave. He told me that the binder of sub notes are on the desk. I thanked him before he left for his meeting. I opened the binder, not much was in it except for the lesson plan. _I can handle one class. Oh crap, I forgot my tea._ I disappointedly pursed my lips together, I waited through the ten minute break emailing notifications about meetings with the staff on my laptop. I looked up when I saw students walking in as the bell began to ring. I closed my computer, stood up, and faced the board. I wrote the lesson plan down in whiteboard marker.

"Okay, class, I am going to be substituting today." I announced. I turned to face the students with a sweet smile. Although like Mrs. Trumble they all looked startled. I scanned the room and saw Evie sitting in the corner, she raised her eyebrows and made a sort of 'swimming fish' hand gesture. I shrugged and shook my head, "talk later," she mouthed.

"Open your books to chapter forty-six and write down the all the different possible reactions that can take place within those mixtures." I instructed. I wait for everyone to look into their books and I started to stroll slowly around the classroom trying to look unsuspicious until I went towards Evie.

"Evie, what's wrong with me?" I whispered, as I leaned next to her ear.

"Do you want the honest answer or the sugar coated kind?" She asked.

"Evie, I want the honest one, no matter how strange." I answered.

"Okay." Evie sighed. "Your irises are red and purple and you look about ten years younger." She quickly explained. "It's gotta be fishy somehow."

"Evie, why did you have to tell me so harshly?" I asked, as I tried to process it in my mind.

"You did ask for the truth." She quietly giggled.

"So what did happen anyway?" She asked.

"I don't know how it happened, but I did pass out on the floor earlier for no reason, and…" I said, I stopped and thought about the potion that spilt on me that morning.

"And?" Evie asked as I stood straight up.

"Oh no." I looked up with my eyes widened.

"What?" She looked at me, confused.

"Is there a mirror or something with a reflection?" I asked in a panic.

"Yeah, there's a metal tray there." Evie pointed at some shelves.

"Thank you, Evie." I ran to the metal tray and picked it up. I looked at my upside down reflection, my eyes were a red and purple sprouting from my pupil. I didn't see my usual wrinkles on my face and neck, I looked almost perfect. I looked younger, I gasped at myself and accidently dropped the tray. I picked it up and quickly put it back. I turned around only to be faced with nine students off task and staring at me.

"Principal Santos, are you okay?" The student in front of me asked.

"Yes, Thomas, I'm fine. Now everyone, get back to work." I tried to remain calm, I walked back to the desk and sat down in the chair. I tapped my fingers on my lap violently and I didn't know how to react. _Okay, okay, okay...stop. You know how to deal with things like this. Maybe._ I had a sudden thought out of the blue, I always brought my spell book and potion vials. I sat my bag on the table and looked inside. I pulled a vintage leather book out, I flipped through some pages to a chart of eye colors. There were eyes colored with red and yellow, cat-like eyes, and eyes with different color combinations that were unnatural to humans. Each eye drawing had descriptions of the potion or spell that was used. I looked at the section, 'Combinations of Purple.' I went through all of it and couldn't find a match to my situation. I was in disbelief and I kept flipping through it over and over. It took me a minute to realize that it wasn't in there at all. I closed the book and sat there in thought. _If the red and the purple on my eyes mix together maybe I could mix the two potion reversing cures and fix both effects. Although, I will lose my amazing fountain of 'ten-year' youth._ I opened the book back up, purple meant youth and red meant love. _Wait, love?_ I looked back at the red, and it definitely said love. I looked in the back for the spell reversing recipes. I looked around the room and saw most of the ingredients on shelves.

"Ms. Santos, if we are done, do we do the experiment stated in the book?" A student asked me while I was off guard.

"Uh-uh…" I looked in the substitute notes. "Yes, follow the steps on the next page." I replied. He pulled out some lab equipment off of shelves and I scanned the room instinctive, I saw two students whispering to each other and looking at me. I felt embarrassed, even though I was older than them, I still felt socially pressured as a student would. I stood up with the book in my hand and quickly walked around the room gathering unused ingredients.I placed them on the table and set the book down. I found a dusty jar underneath desk on a small shelf. I carefully washed it in a lab sink, not getting myself wet. I started to pinch a little of this and a little of that into it. I knew that if I made a base mixture, I could later on use very small amounts of magic. I mixed the powders together and added four teaspoons of water until I got a soupy white substance. I looked inside my bag and found my potion box. My potion box was the size of my hand. I never left home without it. My motto was, 'You don't always know what's going to happen, so it's better to be prepared.' I opened the box full of small vials, I picked out the one filled with blue haired coral, and I only let four drips fall into the jar as instructed in the recipe. I looked up to see all the students working on experiments, I looked back at the book and flipped the page to the love reversing recipe. I used only one drop of sea sponge oil and mixed it with a spoon. It started to fizz as I put my vials back into my bag. I turned back to the book, I read the last part. _Drink._

"Drink it?" I questioned quietly. I looked up at the students, they were all busy with other things, either chatting or doing work. I would usually scold the chatting groups but I had a bigger problem at stake. I looked back at the book and flipped through the pages, I looked at both potion recipes and they instructed to drink it. I was afraid because I had only combined potions once or twice so I had a little bit of experience with deciding what to do. I gagged at the smell of the mixture, it started to turn black so it would be wise to drink it before it got any worse. I looked around the room and saw a plastic cup in the back that was smaller than the jar. I took it and poured the black liquid into it. I built up my courage, held my breathe while putting my lips on the edge, and tilted my head back. I put the empty cup down on the table and disgustedly gagged. I felt the slimy concoction slide down my throat. I looked up at the class, all of the students were looking at me.

* * *

Chapter 4

Evie shook her head at me in a panic. I tried to hint to her that I was also scared. I didn't stop to think and I blurted out, "Why is no one working?"

All of the students got the message and went back to their assignment. I rushed over to Evie, since she was the only one in the room that could help me.

"What are they thinking now? I don't know exactly what I did and why I did that. I tried to get rid of it!" I quickly spit out.

"Woah, Rita, calm down." She whispered. I looked at her in distress. "What were you trying to do exactly?"

"I was trying to get rid of the potion. I think I spilt... well, it was an accident, an experimental potion or something that the girls were making, on my arm. They said they were using ingredients from the reef." I explained. "I've been under a spell before, but this one is worse. I couldn't find a recipe for it in my spellbook and I tried to mix two cures together."

"Rita! Why would you do that?" Evie exclaimed.  
"I have no idea why I want to rush things! I am doing things that I can't explain!" I threw my hands in the air. I looked around and I could hear gossip soar around the room.

"Rita, just don't try to do anything else today." Evie grabbed my attention, I sighed and nodded. Never in my lifetime, I thought I would be told what to do like a child. I turned around and walked back to the desk. Moments later, the bell rang and I dismissed the students in a hurry. As everyone was leaving, I cleaned up the mess I made, Evie looked at me and gave me a nod. I looked down, ashamed at my idiotic behavior. I should have waited and gone home to find my other books with a possible answer to it. I picked up my bag and left as soon as I could. I decided that I was going to bring my work home for the day. I was walking down the halls, looking at the students chatting at their lockers with friends, I suddenly stopped. I felt a sharp pain in my head, I closed my eyes and put my palm on my temple. I blinked a few times and looked straight ahead, my eyes started to ring out as if in a transition into a wind tunnel. I looked around me, I stared at two girls holding binders in their arms as they walked across the grass.

"Did you hear what happened to Ms. Santos?" The blonde girl asked.

"No, what happened?" Her shorter, brunette friend asked and turned to face her.

"Like, Brenda, she acted so strange. She started to make this black goop out of things she found in the science room." She explained. "It was so weird, like she was making homemade drugs or something."

There was no possible way that I was listening to their conversation, they were so far from me, I thought I was going crazy. I looked around at all the other people.

"Ow! I hurt my finger! Stupid locker." A boy yelled as nicked his finger in a locker door.

"My class is so frustrating, the kids never shut up and listen!" A teacher gossiped as she walked with another staff member.

"Then, I jumped into the water and saved the hot chick." A boy was bragging to a bunch of his friends. I heard everything being said as if it was a large roaring speakerphone in my ear. I ran out of the school gates as fast as I could away from all of the commotion. I walked to the car park and found my volvo. I unlocked it and got in, I threw my bag into the backseat and sat in the chair for a minute. I cleared my head and slammed the car door shut. I took a few deep breathes, _if I have this new ability, let's learn to control it while I can._ I opened the door slowly and listened to the different sounds. I could hear the swimming pool water splashing, students talking in the courtyard, and teachers lecturing in classrooms on the top floor through the window. I tuned into the lecture, I giggled at the weird feeling of focusing on these sounds as if I was a radio. The lecture was about how scientists use genetic coding. I happily closed the door in satisfaction of controlling this new ability, I started the car and drove home.

* * *

Chapter 5

After hours of working, taking breaks, and letting Poseidon jump back and forth from my lap; I looked at the clock hanging on the wall, I was going to give myself two hours to get ready.

"Rita," Mimmi said as she walked down the hall into the kitchen with Sirena.

"Hi, Mimmi, Sirena; what've you been doing?" I calmly asked, I closed my laptop.

"We were swimming on the reef and we decided to drop by the pod." Sirena said, she smiled.

"Then, we got distracted on the way back and played with some dolphins." Mimmi cheekily added.

"Also, we did some shopping with the money I got from singing!" Sirena held up the bags in her hands.

"Rita, your face!" Mimmi finally noticed. She dropped the bags she was holding onto the floor.

"It's been a long day, your potion thing in the Grotto spilt on me." I sighed, I stood up. "So what exactly did you use?"

"We weren't entirely sure about the coral." Mimmi responded.

"Or about the seaweed," Sirena added. "but hey you look great!" I frustratedly looked at her, she got the message and scooted back in embarrassment.

"We were going to test it on a prawn." Mimmi lowered her head.

"People are going to ask questions! I acted like a fool today and I felt like I had no control over my thoughts." I started to pace across the floor. "Well, it's not your fault. It's mine, I should have been more careful."

"Rita, we can try to do something about it." Sirena suggested.

"You're going to have to do it later, I have that date with Mitch." I said. "I'll see you two later tonight, bye, girls." I started to walk to the bedroom.

I went into the walk-in closet, I passed my professional clothes and house clothes to the back. I pushed two curtains back to reveal an antique vanity. There were dresses beside the mirror on racks, each one from my travels with Harry. I looked through them but one caught my eye; a red slim dress, with a v-neck sort of shape and thick black belt. I pulled it off of the hanger and placed it next to my young looking, potion-created body. I stood in front of the mirror with it, I liked how it complimented my brown-reddish hair; so I placed it on the back of the seat. I went into the bathroom and opened the drawer on the side filled with hundreds of different hair accessories. I picked up the most elegant hairpin that I could find, the one Harry gave me on the day he proposed. I pulled my hair to one side of my head and let the rest of it fall into my shoulder. I put the clip on the side of my head. The clip was a line of shells strung together with clear, sparkling crystals. I opened my almost-ancient makeup box and lightly brushed on some gold eyeshadow. I put on a light red color of lipstick and closed the box. I stood up from the chair and put on the dress. I found a pair of black heels under a few coats and a black handbag with shells sewn into the fabric. I slipped on the shoes and gracefully walked out of the bathroom, I hadn't ever worn these shoes in my life. I bought them while in mind that I would wear them on our honeymoon in Italy; apparently, I never did. I turned off the lights and walked out into the hall, Ondina rushed out of the Grotto and almost knocked me over.

"Rita!" Ondina exclaimed. "Woah, why are you so dressed up?" She examined my dress.

"I'm going on a date. Ondina, why are you in such a hurry? You better be careful next time." I said, startled at almost being toppled off of my heels.

"I was going to find Sirena and Mimmi. Some mermaid came up to me and asked where Sirena was. Her name was Lyla, I believe, and she said she heard about us saving Mako." Ondina gave it a second thought.

"Lyla," I let the name roll off of my tongue. "Lyla." I whispered to myself.

"Yeah, Lyla. Who else? She's the only one named Lyla in the pod." Ondina commented.

"She was with Sirena and Nixie when Zac first fell into the moonpool, this caused the pod to flee for the first time in centuries. They were the first mermaids to come onto land in years. I miss her a lot, she wanted to help Zac learn about the ocean and love it just as mermaids did." I breathed in the thought of the three girls coming to me on that first day.

"Okay, I have heard Lyla and Nixie be mentioned a few times but I never heard what they really did." Ondina pondered over it for a moment.

"I can tell you all about what they did but I have to go. I have to meet up with Mitch in a few minutes." I was about to leave until Ondina stopped.

"Rita, no offense but I think you overdid it with your makeup." Ondina said.

"Thank you. I did it accidentally with a potion." I replied sarcastically.

"Wait, what?" Ondina thought about it.

"I'll tell you later." I said as I walked down the steps to the front door.

I opened the front door and looked up.

"Mitch!" I jumped.

"Hi, Rita." Mitch kissed me on the cheek. He was holding some flowers and a bag.

"What are you holding?" I asked.

"They're for y-" Mitch held up the bag and smiled. He looked down at me again, his grin wiped off his face. "Rita, no offense, but did you do something with your face?"

"Why? Is something wrong?" I asked.

"I mean, it's just you and me. I think you're beautiful already." He said. _Awww._ I blushed. _Wait, he thinks I'm wearing makeup?!_ My shoulders dropped. "So! What's in the bag?" I tried to change subjects quickly. He handed me the gift, I reached inside and felt a cold shape, I pulled it out.

"Oh! It's a... mermaid." I nervously chuckled as I held the small, blue, glass mermaid sculpture in my hands.

"Is it okay? If you don't like it I can always get you something else." He asked.

"No! No, it's lovely. Thank you! I'll put it on the kitchen table." I rushed up the stairs and placed the bag and gift on the kitchen counter. _I'm going to have to tell him sooner or later._ I went back to Mitch and looked up at him.

"AHH-Oh my god!" I screamed. His face was perfectly carved, his defined marks were gone, his face was perfect. _Oh shit, he's hot._ I felt myself blush again. _I love him even more...WHAT AM I SAYING? How did that happen?!_

"What's wrong? Rita, is everything ok?" He asked me.

"Nothing! I just forgot something at the school, I'll get it on Monday." I lied through my teeth. _I must look so jumpy._ I looked behind me to see the coat rack, I grabbed my thin, long, black coat.

"Let's go!" I anxiously said. He reached out his arm and I curled my hand around his bicep. We walked down the hill to his parked car. We got in his car and drove to down the road as the sunset brushed against the world, giving everything an orange tint. I laid my head on the side of the window and felt the vibrations of the car engine. I felt the warm sun touch my face as if it kissed me goodbye.

"Mitch, thank you…" I gently smiled at him. "for everything."

"No problem, I'll do anything for you." He grinned back at me, he reached for my hand and held it for a moment.

"Are you sure you will do _anything?_ " I asked. I was going to tell him.

"Are you testing me on how much I love you?" He raised his eyebrow and chuckled.

"No, no. I just want to tell you something later, maybe tonight or tomorrow."

"What is it? You can tell me." He looked over at me again.

"I'll tell you, just be patient."

"It's amazing that I still don't know you that well even after a whole year."

"Yeah." I sighed. We sat in silence until I reached into my bag. "I almost forgot!" I pulled out a box. "I got you a tie for your suit. I thought it would go well with the shirt you usually wear." We stopped at a red street light and I opened the box.

"Thank you, it's nice! I think I'll wear it to that business meeting I have on Thursday, it'll look professional." He cheekily smiled as he glanced down at it. We started to move again when the light turned green. I smiled at him but inside I felt ashamed that he didn't know about me yet.

We drove for a few more minutes until we made it to the restaurant. Mitch came to my side of the car and opened the door. He extended his hand out to me, I grabbed it and stood up.

"Are you ready?" He asked as he closed the door behind my back.

"Yes." I turned around and smiled at him. He placed his hand on my shoulder and lead me up the steps to the building. He processed to open one of the double doors for me. I gave him a small thank you across my lips. We walked into a crowd of many impatient customers, bombarding the hostess at the counter with questions. Mitch and I exchanged concern, I nodded toward the front desk. He slide through the crowd as I glanced around at everyone, each tapping their fingers or toes. I was still surprised by how humans always were in a rush. I stood against the wall next to a dusty fake plant in the corner. I waited calmly for Mitch to return, he scooted along the edge of the wall and raised his eyebrow.

"The reservations were mixed up. They're having problems with their computer system, they said it's going to be an hour wait." He explained as he walked up to me.

"I don't think it's worth it." I glanced at the crowd once more.

"Me neither, I think we should go. We can go to my place and have dinner, is that okay?"

"Yeah, that would be nice." I smiled at him.

He put his arm over my shoulder and we strolled out of the restaurant.

* * *

SNIPPET SOMETHING (RANDOM SCENE IN DATE)

*Sitting on the couch, Rita leans in closer throughout the movie and later on lays on MItch's chest by the end of the movie*

*Mitch hears Rita sniffling*

"What's wrong?" *Mitch shifts his body a little to look at her*

"Nothing." *Rita notices that Mitch caught her already, she wipes the tears still trying to deny that she is crying*

"No, there's something wrong, you're crying." Mitch says.

* * *

SNIPPET SOMETHING

I walked around as students were eating lunch and chatting away. I decided that I was going to just enjoy the warm sun before getting the fish I packed in my office. I slowly strolled on the paths near the green towards my office. _Oh god._ I felt a sudden wave of nausea as a boy walked pass me. He smelt really bad as if he hadn't had a shower in two days. _Do they not know that they smell._ I stopped and pressed at my temples. My stomach felt as if it was in knots. The feeling moved to my chest. My mind clicked, _no no no no…_ I looked around for a bathroom and saw one down the pathways near the halls. It wasn't a staff bathroom but I had no other option. I started to rush to it but I felt a burning in my throat. I covered my mouth and ran to the bathroom. I hit the door with my free hand and leaped for a stall. My mouth burst out all the remaining contents of sea urchin insides from my stomach. I thrusted my head forward inside of the toilet as I kicked the stall door closed. After two minutes of vomit pouring out of my mouth, I caught my breath and fell back against the wall. I squinted my eyes at the smell of sea urchin vomit and the bathroom. I started to tear up from the disgusting conditions I put myself in. I sprawled my legs out on the nasty floor. I was exhausted and weak, I flushed down the nasty vomit while my head was spinning. I got up and opened the door as the bell started to ring. I stood up, straightened my shirt, and looked at the mirror to see my hair in a mess. It was easier to let my hair down instead of try to fix it. I pulled the clips out and held them in my hand. I walked out of the bathroom uneasy on my feet. I pushed at my chest at the burning sensation. I looked around again, I saw one teacher walking through the halls on the other side. She stared at me, I just assumed she didn't care. I slowly paced back to my office

* * *

PREGNANCY TEST SCENE

I sat in the chair on the balcony, leaning over the test in my fingers. I couldn't stare at it, I could only glimpse at it. I stared at the sunset, trying to distract my mind from the knowledge of having a child growing inside of me. Instead of tears, it was shock and fear taking it's place. Instead of denying this child, it was 'How am I going to tell Mitch or am I going to tell him at all?' It was 'What if I get exposed during all of this because I can't save myself in time?' and 'Am I going to attract too much attention to myself?' Mitch, my secret, my job, my child. Questions of the future of all this were overwhelming.

* * *

 **SNIPPET ABOUT 3 MONTHS**

"Sirena, I feel weird coming here." I said softly, almost to a whisper.

"Rita, I'm sure it's fine, just because you're a principal doesn't mean you're an alien." I watched as two people left the café. "David doesn't mind, neither does Carly. Besides, they both know already. Also, I know that nobody really comes around this hour." Sirena tried to assure me. We both sat down at a table. Carly came to us, she looked nervous.

"Hi, Principal Santos, hi, Sirena. Um… what can I get you?" Carly stuttered.  
"Carly, are you alright?" Sirena asked, looking up. "You're sweating pinballs."

"Carly, it's alright. I'm not as stern as I am at school, I don't want anyone to be afraid of me. If that's the case and Sirena has told you, you can just call me Rita." I tried to calm Carly down.

"Are you sure?" Carly asked, she seemed to feel much better.

"Carly, we only came here to have lunch together." I smiled.

"For now, we'll have the plate of prawns." Sirena said to Carly.

"Also, can I get a full lobster?" I added.

"Alright." Carly walked back to the cool room, I could see her start to giggle.

Sirena looked back at me, "Rita, I want to discuss something." She started. I looked at her, waiting for her to continue. "You've been acting strange lately, more than usual."

"What do you mean?" I asked, I placed my folded hands onto the table.

"You've been sick, not the kind Evie and us got." Sirena explained, her face showing her concern. "Rita, this has been going on for weeks. This is different, than being sick, isn't it?"

"Sirena, I- I-" I was cutoff by Carly placing a large plate of prawns and lobster on the table. I stopped and looked at the food, I decided to not say anything to Sirena.

"Thank you, Carly." I said, I took the biggest prawn I could find on the plate and bit into the shell. I looked at Sirena, she was disappointed at me for avoiding her question.

"You're welcome." Carly backed away as I chewed into the large prawn.

"Sirena, I'm fine, don't worry, nothing's wrong." I picked a piece of the lobster tail and waved it around as I reassured her.

"Rita, this isn't like you. Also, you never talk with food in your hands or mouth and you never eat the shell in public. Only Nixie and Lyla did that, and they didn't live on land." She picked up a prawn and pulled the soft meat out of the shell. I pressed at my chest, I felt my unusual indigestion.

"I don't?" I confusedly asked her. I picked up another part of the lobster and bit straight into the shell. I felt a strong craving for the lobster, I kept pulling off the seafood on the plate.

"Rita?... Rita!" Sirena tried to grab my attention. She pushed my hand down onto the table. I dropped the prawn I was going to eat back onto the plate.

"Hey!" I looked up at her.

"You've never eaten this fast and you don't like lobster!" I could tell she was getting frustrated. She made me uncomfortable. "Stop acting strange."

"Sirena, we already are the definition of _strange_!" My voice raised as I started to stand up. I looked across the room at David and Carly, they looked disturbed at our heated argument.

"Oh-kaaay…." David mumbled under his breathe, he walked into the cool room and I sat back down.

"Rita, we came here not just for lunch, but to talk as well, I'm just concerned." Sirena started to calm down. I was embarrassed by how she was pointing out everything I was doing differently. I picked up the seafood I dropped on the plate and shoved it into my mouth.

"Stop trying to avoid this with food." She calmly told me.

"Sirena, I told you I'm fine. I'm just hungry." I looked down.

"No. You can't make up a lame excuse for avoid my conversation. Food, really Rita?" She picked up a prawn and slapped it back onto the plate to prove a point. "Tell me you can come up with something better than that." I didn't realize that Evie just walked into the room. I stood up.

"Sirena! Do you want to know? Do you _really_ want to know?! Fine! I'm eating almost four lobsters a day because I'M PREGNANT!" I infuriatingly yelled as I threw my hands up in the air. Evie, David, Carly, and Sirena all stared at me. I finally notice Evie standing there, everyone was in shock. I felt small tears fall onto my cheeks. Sirena studied my face and then my stomach, I couldn't blame her, anyone else would do the same, I just admitted that I was carrying an unborn child.

"Rita, what do you mean? That's impossible." Evie asked, she continued to come closer.

"I don't know!" I cried, I had no clue of what to do, I just wanted to hide.

"Rita, maybe we should talk about this at the house." Sirena suggested. I nodded, I sniffled. Carly grabbed a tissue and handed it to me. We all stood there in silence, I've never really been in the center of attention before, I was so used to being in an outer image.

"Actually, that's great! Congratulations, Ms. Santos." Carly broke the awkward silence of the room. I smiled at her, she made me feel better about the situation.

"Rita, that's great! Don't be ashamed of it." Evie came and hugged me. She looked at me and smiled, I couldn't help but smile back.

"Thank you, David. Sorry about the trouble." Sirena went to give him a hug. I turned around and looked at David.

"David, can I get three more lobsters? If you have any left." I asked with a slight smile.

"Sure, Ms. Santos." He replied, he rushed to the cool room and brought out a styrofoam crate. I took the crate from his hands.

"Thank you." I sweetly smiled. I now had support that I longed for, I didn't have to go through it alone. Sirena and I exchanged a simple goodbye with everyone. She lead me out the door. We walked down the dock to my house.

* * *

SNIPPET AFTER CAFE SCENE

"So how far are you into… well, you know." Sirena tried to ask. We opened the door to the condo and walked up the steps.

"I'm confident enough to say that I'm not sure but I think I had…" I started. "Mitch is the father. I told him and he hasn't said anything concerning," I said. I looked at Sirena, "yet." We both sat down in the kitchen. Sirena sat down in the chairs and I went behind the kitchen island. I picked up a cup and poured some water into it.

"Do you want some?" I asked her.

"No, I'm okay." Sirena replied. She folded her hands. "So when I was learning about humans, pregnancy is like," She looked up trying to find her words. "like growing a baby in a land girl's womb, instead of an egg."

"Correct." I took a sip of my water.

"But you're not a land girl." She stated.

"Yes, but I guess

* * *

WEDDING SCENE

Commitment to a person is a very delicate and fragile thing. If there is an unbalance to the commitment, it snaps. Although it may seem like we rushed into this, I know we were already prepared. Mitch loves me and I love him. Now that he knows about his child, we both can get ready for its arrival together.

In this moment, there is no one helping me fit into my white dress. I'm alone in the room, only a mirror to accompany me. I examined my hair, pulled up into a diamond clip and decorated with pearls. I repeatedly yank the dress over my breast, I sigh over the fact I only bought the dress a week earlier. The strapless dress was large and heavy at the bottom, a giant layer of tulle and fabric. Still, it was beautiful with white faux butterflies scattered around in each ruffle. There was still one detail I hadn't glossed over yet, I was three months pregnant. There was an odd bump under the dress but I wasn't going to let that make me uncomfortable. Besides no one is going to care except me. I walked out of the room into a garden. Flowers surrounded me and to shelter me was a canopy created by trees. At the end of the garden was a small dome structure covered in vines sprouting every way. I walked onto the weathered stone pathway. Mitch, dressed in a handsome tuxedo and the minister were standing patiently in the dome. When I reached them, the minister nodded.

"Is it weird that I didn't wear a veil?" I asked Mitch as we stared at each other.

"No, it's fine. Are you ready?" Mitch responded.

"I was always ready." I smiled. Holding hand in hand, we turned to the minister.

After he finished, we looked deep into each other's eyes. This was the moment we become infinitely united.

"I, Mitch Arden Ross, take you, Rita Santos, to be my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part." Mitch vowed.

"I, Rita Santos, take you, Mitch Arden Ross, to be my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part." I vowed.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may kiss the bride." The minister announced. Mitch brought his hands behind my back and to my head, he pulled me towards him. We shared our first kiss as husband and wife.

"I'll give you two a moment to settle." The minister said as he left the garden.

Mitch and I sat stared once more at each other but closer than before. I rested my head against his chest. We locked hands near my waist.

"You know, I never told you." I softly said.

"What did you not tell me?" Mitch asked.

"I'm also a siren." I chuckled.

"Which means?"

"I guess we can have our first dance here."

Mitch let out a small laugh. "You're going to sing, right now?"

I started to sing a very slow song as I looked back up at him. We swayed back and forth across the floor. He raised an eyebrow, I assumed he wasn't sure of my voice but in a few moments he grinned. After several minutes of dancing, we walked out of the dome into the garden.

"Mitch, I want to show you my world one day. Well, my world before." I said.

"What do you mean?"

"The ocean but in a different way."

* * *

SNIPPET AFTER MARRIAGE

"Zac, get out of my kitchen." I said, I put my hand on the counter and the clack of my wedding ring slap onto the marble.

"Rita, did I do something wrong?" He asked as he bit into a juicy large prawn. I watched as drips of sauce rolled down his lip. Sirena watched as I eyed the food in his hand.

"Out, Zac. Go finish your food somewhere else." I pointed down the hall.

"Uh, Rita, are you okay? What was that about?" Sirena raised an eyebrow. I pressed my fingers against my forehead.

"Alright… I'll just be off then…" Zac crept away, picking up his plate of food.

"Rita, if you wanted some, you could have asked and I would've gotten you it." Sirena suggested. She got off of the couch and headed for the fridge. I whipped around and glanced at her.

"I'm fine, I don't need any." I snapped, I could smell the seafood drifting in the air. I wanted to taste it but if I ate it, I knew I would puke afterwards. I decided it would be easier just to eat anything beside it for the rest of the day.

"Um, it was for me." Sirena jumped. She took out a serving of the prawns and placed them on a plate. I stared at the white dish of shellfish, I frustratedly let out a breath.

"Actually, I'm going on the balcony to finish some work."

* * *

RANDOM BONDING SCENE

I was laying sideways on the couch, reading my book until I felt a punch to the stomach. I was caught off guard and I jumped. I realized that the baby was kicking again. I flip onto my back and put my book down on the coffee table. I stared at my belly.

"Mitch. Mitch! Come here!" I called out to him. I turn my head and watch him rush down the hall. He knelt down at my side and held my hand.

"What's wrong? Rita, is the baby okay? Are you okay?" He asked worriedly.

"Calm down, look." I place his hand on my stomach. I smile at him and watch his eyes light up and smile.

"It's really kicking." He said at the sudden jerks.

"Yeah, it's pretty strong." I flinched at the movements.

"I can't wait until next week." He pressed his ear on my belly. "Hello in there, Daddy's waiting to know if you are my little girl or boy." He kissed me on the forehead and started to run his fingers through my hair. I closed my eyes and rested my hands on my stomach. I wondered if it's was going to be a boy or a girl but it was more important to wonder if it would be full mermaid, full human, or hybrid. It scared me of the things I was not prepared for, I cleared my mind. I pondered the moment between mother and child, knowing that I have know this baby before I _knew_ it.

"What do you think you'll do if the baby is a mermaid or merman?" Mitch asked seriously. I opened my eyes and turned my head towards him.

"I don't know, we'll just have to see, won't we?" I sighed. I stopped and realized the importance of remembering and not being careless. "Wait, Mitch we can't go to that ultrasound."

"Why?" He asked.

"What if it's got a tail and we can't explain that to the nurse." I explained. "They might do tests or worse, maybe even take out the baby prematurely." Shivers went down my spine as I said it. I tried to grab onto the side of the couch and stand up. I gave it a few tries until I laid back down and groaned.

"Here." Mitch reached out his hand. I grabbed his hand and pulled myself up.

"Thanks." I picked up my book on the coffee table. I folded the corner of the page and closed it. Mitch observed the front cover and raised his eyebrow.

" ' _You and Your Baby in 9 Months_ '." He read off of the cover. "You know this isn't your normal, everyday, human pregnancy, right?" He asked concernedly.

"I know, but if there are similarities, at least I'll know something about it." I replied, confidently. He studied my eyes for a moment, then his face gave approval.

"Okay then, I guess you can't be too prepared." He placed his hand on my shoulder and lead me to the hall.

"Mitch, why don't we take a walk on the beach later?" I asked. I opened the door to my bedroom, we walked inside and I placed my book on the bedside table.

"Are you sure? You don't really like to go out, unless you're working or swimming." He raised his eyebrow at my new decision.

"Look, it's been maybe years since I've used these _things_ for a greater purpose than walking to the school." I joked as I shook my legs. "I feel like having some prawns, then we'll go, okay?"

"Sure."

* * *

 **SNIPPET AFTER BONDING SCENE**

Mitch and I walked down the hill to the beach. I looked around, I saw a few of my students. They looked just as embarrassed as I was, I felt awkward. I regretted my decision to walk outside, where everyone could see me and Mitch together. I tried to ignore their staring. I focused on how beautiful the sunset was. I looked at Mitch, his hand held mine, and my feet touching the warm, dry sand. I looked down at my belly, I noticed that it was much bigger than I thought it was. I felt a little self-conscious of the way it looked. I once again tried to take my mind off of it.

"Mitch," I started. I felt the warm breeze run through my hair.

"Yes?" He studied my eyes.

* * *

LAST SWIM SCENE

I sat down at the sea entrance, feeling down, knowing that it might be my last time swimming. I slide my legs into the water and sat on the ledge. I felt my legs transform into my tail, I looked down at it happy to see it one last time. I knew that today was the last exception for a casual swim, after that I would probably see my tail again by accident. I looked out at the tidal rings dancing on the water. I went down under the surface and opened my eyes. I swam out into the open ocean and slowly paddled my way along the coast. I made my way to the large reefs near the caves, a quarter of a mile from my house. I slowly swam around the coral. I smiled at the sight of each little fish seeming to play in the anemones. I softly laid down on a soft coral sponge and and placed my hands on my belly. I stared at the surface and the fish. I imagined my little girl swimming with me through the kelp forests together. I was about to get up and swim back home until I saw a small, young mermaid swim around the corner. She looked startled as I was. She swam away towards Mako where the pod was, I knew that this wasn't good so I hid myself and followed her at my own pace. I found her talking to Veridia, which _was_ the head of the Mermaid Council. I swam behind a rock and stayed hidden.

"There was a mermaid near the coral covered rock forms closer to land, where the houses are." She explained to Veridia.

"Ava, that's fine as long as she stayed hidden." Veridia said.

"But... but her stomach was huge like perfectly round. It didn't look normal. It was weird, I just wanted to tell you because she was thin and her stomach wasn't, it just didn't add up." Ava tried to tell her. "You said if anyone saw something unordinary, we should come and tell you." She looked down.

"Okay, if you are that concerned, I will keep an eye out for this suspicious character." Veridia swam back down. I thought that Veridia went the other way, so I came out from behind the rock and came out of my invisible state. I looked behind me for a second and saw Veridia. She was swimming my way so I hid myself again and slowly swam home. I hoped she didn't see my face but I was sure she saw my stomach.

* * *

AFTER SWIM SCENE

I found Mitch in the kitchen, I was crying.

"Honey, what's wrong?" He dropped the papers he was holding on the counter. He came up to me and hugged me. He kissed me on the head.

"Someone saw me," I tried to explain through tears drowning my throat.

"As a mermaid?" He asked.

"No, not a human, I was swimming. A little girl, not a girl but small mermaid. Ava, I think, told Veridia that I was pregnant." I said. I looked up at him, I tried to wipe the tears rolling on my cheeks."Well, she only described my belly. She probably didn't know what it was, obviously."

"Does Veridia know it's you?" Mitch asked.

"I don't think so." I said, unsurely.

"That's good, at least."

"It's just against the nature of all mermaids. I'm probably the first mermaid ever to _be_ pregnant. Mermaids have eggs and I've been six months with a baby _in_ me." I looked down at my baby bump. "There's a huge difference in that Mitch. It's like a bird giving birth in a nest, it's against nature by... a lot." I sniffled.

"Maybe the pod might accept that, maybe not today but later, you maybe have about three months." Mitch tried to assure me.

* * *

PLAN FOR HARRY'S REVEAL (SECRET NOT ACTUAL HARRY) SCENE

"I mean, I was already was casted out when..." I realized that I had never told him.

"Why were you casted out?" Mitch confusedly asked.

"Mitch, I need to tell you something." I let go of him.

"I met a man before," I started. "I used to sneak onto land to meet him, and when the pod learned about him," I continued. "I was casted out and... and..."

"What happened?" Mitch started to get eager.

"Harry and I got engaged," I started to to tear up again. "but he died before the wedding. After that, I promised myself that I would never love anyone again." I sat down on the couch. I placed my head in my hands.

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" Mitch asked, he looked upset.

"I met you and I fell in love with you. I thought telling you would push you away." I tried to explain.

"I would never leave you, I certainly didn't when I learned you had a tail." He came up to me and brushed the hair out of my eyes. "I loved you from the moment I saw your face." He told me, I smiled and kissed him.

* * *

POST-FIRST CONTRACTION SCENE (REWRITE AFTER BIRTH SCENE)

"Good morning, Honey." I heard Mitch's soft voice flood into my ears. I smile as the warm sunlight touches my cheeks. I breathed deeply as I stretched to get up, putting my hand on his face as I opened my eyes. I gazed at his face as he grinned sweetly.

"Good morning." I said in response.

"Should we get up or stay in bed for another hour?" Mitch laughed. We stared into each other's eyes.

"I think it's a lovely day, we should at least sit on the balcony." I said. Mitch started to get out of the bed. He walked around to my side and reached out his hand. I looked up at him with a grin. I grabbed onto his hand and sat up, I suddenly felt a pain in the side of my stomach. I stopped for a moment and squinted my eyes.

"Rita, are you okay?" Mitch concernedly asked.

"Yeah, yeah." I looked up at him. "Probably just another boxing match with my insides." I joked. I placed my feet firmly onto the ground and pushed myself up from the bed. My light purple, long, silk dress fell down from my knees as I stood up. I adjusted the straps on my shoulders and turned around to face the messy sheets on the bed.

"Mitch, can you go downstairs and make a plate of prawns and, hm…" I looked up at the ceiling deciding on what to have. "what about, two crabs?"

"Sure, I'll go make it." Mitch started to leave the room.

"Also, David just dropped off another box of seafood, it should be in the fridge." I called out.

"Okay, Hon." He replied as he turned down the hall.

I looked down at the bed, I fixed up the sheets and pulled them over the pillows. I finished and turned around, the see-through window curtains were gracefully flapping in the warm breeze. I watched as they danced from side to side, I walked up to them and opened the window. I looked outside and saw the beach down below with people scattered across the sand. I watched as some of them jumped into the rolling waves, my eyes started to search out at the sea. I saw some heads surface in the deep waters. I gently smiled as the young mermaids played a game, leaping from the water and splashing each other frantically. I sat there in silence until I felt another kick to my stomach. I looked down at my belly _, I am tired of this, get it out of me._ I closed the windows and the curtains fell, even though the light still flooded into the room. I put on my robe hanging from the wall by a hook. I shuffled my feet to the kitchen with all the weight hanging from my torso. I sat down at the kitchen island as Mitch was making his breakfast. I found a glass sitting on the counter and I poured some water into it. I took a sip of it and set the glass down, I stared straight ahead frustratedly blowing steam from my nose.

"Mitch," I started.

"Yes?" he looked back and placed a large plate of seafood in front of me.

"I'm so done with this all." I sighed.

He chuckled and turned off the stove. "Pregnancy will do that to you." He poured his scrambled eggs onto a small plate. He picked up his mug of coffee and sat in front of me.

"Hey! You're not the one who's pregnant, you don't know what it's like." I said.

"Trust me, my older sister would not stop going on about it when she had my nephew." Mitch looked up from me, he shoved a fork of eggs into his mouth.

"Is your sister a mermaid?" I raised my eyebrow, I picked up a crab leg.

"No, but..." Mitch looked up. "Okay, you have a point."

"I thought so." I smiled in a small victory, I sat back a little as we looked at each other and took bites of our different meals. _Eggs and crabs._

"Do you want to go onto the balcony?" Mitch asked after he took a sip of his coffee.

"Yeah, just let me go and-" I stopped.

"Are you okay?" He asked as my eyes shifted into a panic.

"Oh god. Oww." I bent over in my chair with my mouth agap. I held my stomach through the violent jerks.

"Rita, what's going on?" MItch asked concernedly.

"It's- it's more than I'm used to." I sat back up and slightly shook my head. "I'm alright, it'll be over soon, I just need a minute."

"Are you sure? You don't

* * *

BIRTH SCENE (STARTED REWRITE ABOVE, THIS WAS VERY "OUT THEREEEE" :S)

I was looking out at the horizon as the sun was setting, sitting down at the table on the balcony. I thought it was so beautiful, I sat my hand on my large stomach. I looked at the girls sitting on the bench, talking about the funny things that they had done with the pod. I looked down at Poseidon, who was jumping onto my table. I felt a sudden pain in my belly. I thought it was another round of kicking, until I felt a harder one that made me cringe. I felt a large one that made me double over in my chair. I climbed out of the chair with the strength that I had. I felt to my knees and I curled up on the floor and held my stomach.

"OWWWW!" I screamed. I tightly closed my eyes and curled up even tighter. I opened my eyes and saw the girls jumping up and coming towards me.

"Rita, are you ok?" Ondina asked, I could hear the panic in her voice.

"I don't know." I responded.

"Ondina, I think she's having the baby." I heard Sirena. I felt their hands try to pull me up from the ground.

"OH MY GOD!" I cried. I kept opening my eyes and seeing a different area of the condo. I kept shuffling my feet. I couldn't make out where I was going, my mind was only focused on the pain. The girls lead me to the front of the bookcase.

"Girls, why are we going to the Grotto? Why not the bedroom?" I looked up at them.

"Crap. How could I be so stupid?" Sirena blew steam out of her nose in frustration.

"But… the supplies are in the Grotto." Ondina said.

"Then, Ondina, go get them." Mimmi sternly ordered.

"Seriously!" Ondina ran down into the Grotto.

"Rita, hold on." I heard Mimmi say.

"Mimmi, I thought contractions came before going straight into labor." I said.

"Rita, I don't know. Well, it _is_ completely new to nature." Mimmi tried to give me an explanation.

"Well, now that I think of it, I was hurting this morning." I managed to spit out.

"I'll get Mitch." I heard Ondina run up the stairs.

"Sirena, there's, uh..." I tried to make out what I wanted in my head. "Fuuuuck! Oh my god." I cringed. Mimmi got me onto the bed in the room. I looked up at Sirena, she was blurry in my teary-eyed vision.

"Rita what is it?" Sirena asked.

"There's a bottle of sea slime and grounded coral. It's greenish purple, it's in a small clear glass." I said. I cringed again. I felt the worse pain I had ever had in my life.

"Where?" Sirena asked.

"On the shelves, in the Grotto, to your left." I said. Sirena ran out of the room.

"Oh, this feels really awkward." Mimmi said as she pushed my dress out of the way, spread my legs, and pushed them up. She looked between them.

"Hey, at least the heads coming out!" She said. Sirena ran back in and Ondina behind her, holding a large amount of towels.

"Here, Rita. I found it!" Sirena held up the small bottle.

"Good, now pour it halfway into that glass." I pointed at a small cup that looked like a shot glass on the desk. "Harry gave me that once."

"Rita!" I watched Mitch run into the room.

"Luckily, I called Mitch and he was only two minutes away." Ondina proudly said.

Sirena handed me the small glass. I tried to sit up and dumped the mixture into my throat as fast as I could.

"You just drank that nasty liquid!" Sirena looked at me disgustedly. "What was that?"

"Pain killer." I said. I dropped the glass on the bed at the feeling of relief. "It's like an epidural, just not directly into your back." I felt so much better. "I can use it during any stage, later than the human injection version."

"Would that hurt the baby at all?" Sirena asked.

"No, I made it. I know it wouldn't hurt anything." I replied. Mitch rushed to my side.

"Are you ok?" Mitch asked. I looked at him like he was stupid.

"Am I ok? Am I ok?! AM I OK?! YOU FUCKING DID THIS TO ME! I HATE YOU!" I freaked out at him. "OH MY FUCKING GOD!" I felt the pain again even after I just had an effective amount of pain reducing formula, it even hurt more than before.

"Shit! I thought the sea slime and coral would work! AAUUGGHHH!" I scraped the bed sheets with my nails making marks in the fabric. I couldn't care less at the sheets, I could replace them. I just wanted it to be all over.

"Mitch, I don't think she means that." Mimmi assured him. She kept looking at the baby's head. "You have to remember that she _is_ in a lot of pain."

"I... AM... FUCKING... DYING!" I screamed in between breathes. "MITCH!"

"Yes, Rita?" He asked. "Just keep breathing, ok?" I grabbed his arm, I squeezed it as hard as I could. His eyes bulged out of his skull as I forced my fingers into his skin. I felt a flood of tears run out of my tightly shut eyes. My forehead was dripping with sweat.

"WHY DOES IT HURT SO MUCH?!" I cried. My neck strained upwards to the ceiling as I whimpered. I slowly let go of his arm and reached out towards a chair near the desk. I pulled it next to the bed. I put my hand in it and I pushed down. The back of the chair cracked as I cried in pain, I frustratedly pushed it away. I sat myself up and pressed my elbows into the mattress.

"Rita, breathe, keep pushing!" Ondina came to Mimmi's side. Mitch went to help Mimmi out.

"I AM!" I screamed. I repeatedly kept saying that I was going to die. Sirena was placing the towels around me and partially under my legs to be helpful.

"Last time I probably saw that was nine months ago." Mitch laughed. The girls looked at him and I pointed my middle finger at him. I was in so much pain and he had to make a stupid joke.

"Oh, sorry." He said, embarrassed. He came and let me grab his strong hand, I squeezed his palm.

"Your wife is in pain, Mitch. Really?" Sirena said. She shook her head in disbelief.

I screamed, I must have lost my mind in that moment, my eyes scanned the room. I saw Poseidon scurry around and rudely leave. Ondina ran behind him, I didn't care about them in that moment and squeezed Mitch's hand harder.

"Rita, a few more pushes!" Mimmi said, encouragingly.

"Mitch, your arm is hairy." I paused. I looked at him, my eyes were stinging, I felt the messy curls in my hair falling onto my shoulders.

"Yes, Dear." Mitch stared at me and patted my hand.

"I hate you."

"Yes, Dear." He let me squeeze his hand harder.

"I'm going to die." I scraped my teeth against each other.

"No, you're not going to die." He tried to reassure me.

"I'm going crazy." I chuckled as my eyes watered.

"Yes, you've sort of lost it." He looked down at my red, sore hand.

"Don't tell me that! I'm in FUCKING LABOR, you son of a BITCH!" I screamed.

"Yes, we all know that."

Sirena stared at our odd moment.

"Rita, don't stop! You're doing great!" Mimmi encouraged me.

I pushed as hard as I could. I kept screaming in small bursts. My eyes were tearing up at the pain.

"You can do it, Honey!" Mitch told me. "Come on!"

Ondina ran back into the room. "I found some towel racks."

"Ondina, why did you get those?" Sirena asked.

"I thought that maybe Rita can push off of them and maybe help out Mitch a little bit." Ondina replied. The girls looked back at her. "Hey! At least I'm doing something useful."

"Oh, god! Thank you!" I yelled. Ondina put the two racks near my arms. I let go of Mitch's arm and placed my hands on the bars. I pushed against them and Mitch kept encouraging me to breathe and push.

"One more push!" Sirena said. In response, I pushed as hard as I could.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" I felt a wave of relief through my body and mind. I fell back to catch my breathe. _I just had a child. A beautiful girl._ I heard the reassuring wails of a newborn and I continued to feel tears fall from my eyes, I was too overjoyed to speak.

"You just had a baby girl," Mimmi smiled as she held my child in her arms with a towel. "And maybe just with an orange addition."

"What?" I sat up and saw my baby with a bright orange tail.

"Mitch," I paused. "Coralia's a mermaid."

"I know but at least she's as beautiful as her mother." Mitch watched as Mimmi cut the umbilical cord, he kissed me and we both smiled at each other. I was still in so much pain but I was too overjoyed to focus on it. I was glad that I could still function after that. Mitch went over to Mimmi and held Coralia. He was about to come over to let me hold her but I shifted towards Ondina as she confusedly look between my legs. _What is she doing?_

"Um, is there suppose to be another huge grubby thing come out after the baby?" Ondina asked.

"Maybe, why?" I confusedly replied.

"AHHHHHHHH!" I felt the same horrible pain as before as my back rose off the bed. I screamed, it hurt more than I wanted it to. I fell back and screamed to the top of my lungs.

"There's another?!" Mimmi freaked. "Ondina, you might have to pull the baby out! I'm taking care of Coralia!"

"What?... What... other?!" I panted.

"What?! Why do I have to do it?!" Ondina looked at them with disappointment. I felt my body crumbling. I couldn't take the pain anymore, I felt like giving up.

"ONDINA! I DON'T CARE IF YOU THINK ITS NASTY! TAKE _WHATEVER_ IT IS OUT OF ME NOW!" I yelled at her. I laid back on the table. Mitch's eyes widened at the sight of this unexpected child, he handed Coralia back to Mimmi. Mimmi carefully handed Coralia to Serina.

"Rita, push! I know you don't want to, but you have to! Come on, just one more!" Mimmi kept telling me. Mitch came to my side again and held my hand.

"Rita, you can do it! Come on, Honey!" Mitch excitedly exclaimed.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!...Holy shit!" I cried. Mimmi pulled another baby out of me. _She just pulled out another child, out of me. I just had another child. I have twins._ I didn't know that I had two babies inside of my body. I was so shocked by how crazy it sounded that I had no knowledge of my other child.

"Ondina, I didn't have a towel." Mimmi held a boy with a blue tail in her arms, obviously with no towel, her arms and shirt were covered in goop. Mitch ran to the baby and held him, with the umbilical cord still attached.

"Thank you, Mitch." Mimmi said quickly. I laid back down and caught my breathe.

"Mitch, here's some scissors to cut the rope thing." I heard Ondina say, followed by a snip, then a loud thud on the floor. I dropped my legs back down and sat up at the sounds of his little relieving cry. I saw Mimmi on the floor drying her tail and Sirena holding Coralia, wiping the goop off of her with a soft towel.

"They're so beautiful." I started to tear up again.

Ondina picked up some large pillows and placed them behind my back. Mimmi stood back up and went to Sirena to wrap Coralia in a blanket. Mitch picked up a blanket as well and wrapped my baby boy in it. Ondina and Sirena were smiling and they hugged each other. Mitch and Mimmi came up to me and placed my babies in my arms. I smiled and kissed each of them on the forehead, I finally knew what it meant to be a mother.

"Awww…" Ondina smiled and teared up.

"Ondina, I didn't know you have a soft spot." Sirena joked and nudged her.

"They're adorable." Mimmi grinned from ear to ear. Mitch sat by me and looked at their button noses. I looked up at him and a look of concern washed over my face.

"Mitch, what are we gonna name this little one?" I asked as I turned my head towards my boy.

"I don't have a clue, I just was expecting a little girl after you told me." He answered.

"Can we name him after my father?" I asked.

"Sure." He agreed.

"His name was Caspian though." I looked up at Mitch.

"Oh, uh… Caspian. Hm, actually, what about Max? Short for Maximus." Mitch suggested.

"Caspius?" I giggled. "I'm just joking."

"Maximus Caspian Ross." He confidently said.

"Ok, you get to name him since I named Coralia." I agreed upon his name.

"Coralia Thalassas and Maximus Caspian Ross." Mitch formally officialized.

"Max and Cora." I pronounced, I smiled at each of the girls. Suddenly, I heard the front door open and close.

"Who's that?" I asked as I looked at the babies and heard footsteps scramble across the floor.

Unexpectedly, Evie and Zac rushed into the room.

"Is Rita ok now?" Zac asked, trying to catch his breathe.

"Yeah, it was really stressful." Mimmi replied.

"Awww... they're tiny and cute." Zac uttered. I smiled at him and lightly rocked Max and Cora in my arms.

"Oh, yeah. I forgot after you screamed at me, that I called Zac and Evie when I went to go get the towel racks." Ondina said, she rocked back and forth on her heels. I looked at Evie, she was sweating down her forehead.

"We were on the beach, so we ran here." Evie explained. "Oh my god! They are so precious!" She added. After minutes of minutes of smiling and tearing up; we all settled down and talked about the crazy event, I joined in on the conversation to add in a few details. I sat there in the bed still sore but I felt so overjoyed to have two, little, healthy babies peacefully sleeping in my arms.

* * *

CAR CRASH SCENE (YEAR AFTER CHILDREN/ BOOK 2)

I smiled at Lyla for a moment, time seemed to slow down, the world exploded in front of my eyes. The blinding light flooded the car, the impact sent my head flying towards the dashboard. Lyla and Sirena screamed in sheer terror and pain. My neck whipped straight into the steering wheel, I banged my skull against it. My eyes filled with tears as I heard Lyla's bones crack underneath the side door crushing her body. The shards from the windows jetted into the seats, slicing through my skin, shedding blood across my face and arms. Time was still, the shattered glass was still, the blood was still. I couldn't reflect on the moment, it happened so slowly yet so fast.

The constant fighting to pull back to reality or stay in the moment. I opened my eyes, I was in pain, my head was pounding. Lyla was pinned underneath the crunched door, the glass was scattered across the seats. I sat my head back, I managed to twist it just enough to see Nixie whimpering and Sirena trembling. Sirena grabbed her purse and pulled out her mobile phone. With shaky hands she tried to dial a number as she smeared blood all over her phone screen. She unlocked the car door and climbed out.

"Nixie, are you ok?" She asked. I could only hear Nixie slowly move towards her side of the car and get out. Moments later I hear Sirena crying out, "Zac! Zac! We got into a car crash. Nixie and I are scared, we don't know what to do!"

"Sirena, let me talk." Nixie said.

"Here." Sirena muttered.

"Zac, get anyone you can to come help, Rita and Lyla are badly hurt…what?...we're on Seymour Road or around it….that's what it says on the sign….ok...ok. Bye."

* * *

COMA DREAM AFTER CRASH

I woke up in my bed to the doorbell ringing, I sat up blinking my eyes. Stepping my feet on the ground, putting on my gray robe, and rushing down the hall angered me.

"Coming!" I frustratedly called out as I descended down the steps. I straightened out my nightgown but before opening the door lock, I thought to myself. _Why would anyone want to come to the principal's house._ I opened the door and gasped. My eyes welled with tears as I stared at him.

"Oh my god." I covered my mouth in shock. I finally felt the desperate tears that held to my eyes fall onto my cheeks. "Harry." I managed to spit out, my head spun around. _He was dead. I watched him die in my arms._

"Rita." He said with a lump of guilt in his throat. "I'm so sorry."

"No! You died! I watched you die! I sat and held your hand. You died in that war!" I panicked.

I sat at the edge of the bed. Hundreds of soldiers calling out for needs as nurses ran around helping patients. I looked down at my dirty, blood stained nurse uniform. I had been sitting in the chair for hours attending to Harry as he slowly bled out from his gunshot wound. I tilted my head to look down at the red bandage around his torso.

"Harry, I won't leave you. I'll be here all night if I have to." I held my hand within his. I placed my lips against his knuckles. I shut my eyes as my lips quivered.

"Rita, I won't leave you." He started to cough. I handed him a glass of water with my free hand. "Look, when we walk down that aisle, we'll have that white wedding you've always wanted, on the beach too just how you imagined it." He smiled. I tilted my head at the ceiling as I sniffle and chuckled in a small relief.

"Rita," He said weakly.

"Hm?"

"you should get some rest." He told me.

"No, I said I wasn't going to leave. I'll stay by you no matter what." I looked sternly at him.

He nodded as my eyes allowed tears to escape. As I held his hand, I softly laid my head on his chest. Ten minutes later, I started to drift until he began to cough violently. I handed him the glass of water again, he started to calm down. "Rita, I know now."

"What?" I softly asked.

"I must accept that maybe I am going-" He started to say in between coughs.

"No. Don't say things like that. You are going to stay alive, I will keep you alive." I cut him off.

"Rita, I'm not going to make it." He said.

"Harry, you can't, I need you." I cried.

"Shh. Rita stop, don't say anything." He inhaled deeply. "I love you." With the strength he had left, he reached out his hand to place it around my cheek. He pulled me in and placed his lips on mine, I closed my eyes and let my heart take over my mind. His grip loosen and he exhaled. I opened my eyes and looked at him, he laid there unresponsive and cold. The few second that I sat completely still were of total shock. My fiance had left me, he was gone.

"Harry?" I leaned over him and shook his shoulders. "Harry?!" I shook him some more. "Harry! No, no, no! Don't leave me! Harry!" I started to whimper.

"Harry! No! No! No- ooo!" I burst into tears as I leaned on his chest. "No!"

* * *

Final Version:

Hook:

After the Trident Stone was destroyed, life was expected to carry on peacefully, but unexpected turns will get in the way.

(Strong language and mature content.)

Disclaimer: Rita and Dr. Mitch Ross are shipped extensively.

* * *

Chapter 1

 _Click, click, click._ The sounds of my heels are music to my ears each day when I walk through these halls. My job has become quite uneventful since I've learned to avoid water fairly well. Holding stacks of binders has become too easy for me as well as keeping order of the teachers and students. But now that my tedious routine is interrupted, I have something to look forward to after the almost endless-feeling week. Mitch is taking me on a date for our first year anniversary of meeting each other. I still hate that I can't remember anything after idiotically laughing for no reason in front of him. He actually doesn't know about my secret… yet and has no idea why I was acting that way. It still is a complete struggle to keep him distant yet so close. I want him to know about who I truly am but I'm afraid of how he will react. I can't predict if he will send me to the marine biology institute or let me be in peace. I have a strong feeling that he'll accept anything we go through. I've decided to tell him when the time is right, I just need to know when it's time.

My mind wanders mostly when I'm walking to meetings, the direction to the conference room has just become muscle memory. On my right, I walked by a glass case with sports trophies and slowed down just enough to glance at my hair and outfit. I inspected quickly, nodded, and proceeded to step through the door on the left at the end of the hall. I wasn't at all surprised to see that I was the first one to arrive. I shut the door behind me and sat down at the front of the rectangular table. I opened my binder and scribbled some notes for my ideas I wanted to present. I looked up at the clock bolted to the wall and watched the minute hand tick by. I started to get anxious for the other teachers to walk in so I scouted the room for something to do. A water jug caught my eye, I smirked and reached out my hand. With a small flick of my wrist, the jug started to rattle until it spewed a fountain of water towards me. I didn't plan for it to jump at me but just twist around for my mear entertainment. I instinctively ducked under the table as the water hit the wall. The water streamed down in drops to only be absorbed by the carpet floor. Just as I looked up, Mr. Goldt, Mrs. Penatory, and Miss Lively walked in as they were chatting.

"Ms. Santos, why are you on the floor?" Mr. Goldt asked. I frantically looked for an excuse.

"Um… I was looking for my… pen, I dropped it." I searched for something on the floor, but I failed. I stood up and nervously smiled at them. "I'll just use a different one."

They hesitated but sat down at the table afterwards.

"So, Ms. Santos, how are you?" Miss Sarah Lively cheerfully asked. I sat down and straightened out my neutral-colored skirt.

"I'm doing fine, and you?" I responded.

"We were just discussing if we could ever celebrate your birthday in the teacher's lounge." She looked over at the two. "Unfortunately, you never told us when it was. If you don't mind, when is it?"

I wasn't thinking and blurted out, "On the full third moon." My eyes widened. That was a mistake, humans don't count by moons. I haven't ever thought to search up when that was. I only knew that four hundred sixty nine full moons had gone by.

"Oh, I didn't know you counted by moons, what a very unique thing. When exactly is that?"

I stopped and thought, "I don't actually know." I said, I dropped my head down and stared at the floor for a moment.

"Alright then… so Nicole," Sarah shifted her head towards Mrs. Penatory. "Should we begin discussing our plans for our teaching methods?" I looked back up as they chatted a bit more. I tuned out of the conversation and observed the mannerisms that they constantly showed. Richard Goldt always reached for the side of his head to scratch it, Nicole licked her chapped lips continuously, and Sarah's finger twitched rhythmically on the table. I assumed she was unintentionally tapping her fingers to a song in her mind. As I watched them talk, the minutes flew by without my acknowledgement, more teachers started to arrive. The staff were beginning to collaborate or chat about students. I decided to speak, I stood up from my chair.

"Good afternoon, staff." I paused and dropped my head slightly. "I apparently have some very troubling news, the school district is experiencing many funding problems for our schools." The spirit in the room dropped, I pursed my lips. "The most I can cut from our system is some electives, although by staff vote." I said.

"Let's begin then." Mrs. Reed said as I sat back down. For each department at least one elective was voted out. It was hard to know communities were ready to fall apart due to bankruptcy and teachers about to lose their jobs. Each time someone rose their hand, I shook my head. After writing down each voted electives, I stood up.

"It is a major disappointment to watch enjoyable electives disappear, but the district is coming to a confirmed decision at the end of the semester." I sighed. "If I have any notable information, I will inform you all." I nodded, picked up my papers, and tapped them on the table into a neat stack. Everyone took that as an ending signal and began to pack up. I opened the door for the staff and waited until they left, afterwards I followed behind. I quickly went to my office in the other block to collect my bag and lock the door. As I was leaving the school, I passed through the halls where the detention center was, I could hear voices coming from the room.

"Oh my god, Ms. Santos is really bitchy, I think she picks on me just because I fought Diana. The only reason I socked her was 'cause she called me a slut." A voice rang out from the room, it sounded familiar like the girl that I sent to detention for swearing at a staff member, Nevaeh Williams.

"I heard she's a robot, she's emotionless. I don't think she has feelings." A boy added. I heavily sighed, although I promised myself not to let any comments affect me, it was very hard not to reflect on them. I saw five students, sitting on the desks or turned-around chairs. They were laughing until they saw me walk by. I looked straight forward and avoided their stares. I was only going to focus on getting home.

I remember Harry taking me on the freeway for the first time, I was so frightened that we were going to die. I understand that it's funny now as I reflect on it more than it was when I was actually there. Holding on to his arm as tightly as I could was all I could remember, my eyes were red and sore from trying to close them. I never saw the road until we got to the wildlife sanctuary in Currumbin. When he brought me inside the building, I saw animals that the pod have probably never imagined in their lives. I would have gone to the pod and told everyone about the new animals I learned about. I never got the chance to tell anyone until it was too late after they banished me.

"Asshole! You cut me off!" I yelled, I was about to go until a woman cut me off. I had to wait for the light to turn green again. I wanted to break her car down, but the more I thought about doing it the more I lifted my hand and twisted it. The woman's car started to slow down, it took me a moment to realize that this wasn't right. I lowered my hand as the woman sped away, I usually don't act in anger. I'm mostly patient but this time I felt something wasn't holding me back, something was missing. I shrugged off my suspicions and continued to drive.

I turned on to my street and pulled up to the hill on which I lived. I walked up the steep incline, although supported with stairs, and to the gate that was all too familiar. The door was the last obstacle to finishing the trip home, I sighed at the knowledge of Harry's hard work put into the building of this 'castle.' Harry bought the lot when we were dating, I didn't know that he did until he brought me to see the place when it was half complete. By the time we were engaged, the house was already finished. When he passed away, the house was handed over to me, his family didn't know what to do with it when it's four hours away from them.

I opened the door and ascended up the stairs. I threw my bag onto the kitchen island and slipped off my heels. I looked at the clock on the wall, I had about an hour to get ready for Mitch when he arrived at seven. I stood still for a minute to think and in an instant I went to my bedroom. To my right was my walk-in closet, I turned on the light to expose all my clothes and a extravagantly decorated, wooden chest with gold markings. I slowly approached it and opened it, dropping dust behind it as well as revealing my old collection of dresses. I pulled out dozens of beautiful sparkling gowns, but a dark red dress caught my eye, I held it up in front of me and studied how elegant it looked. I folded the other dress and placed them back in the chest. I found my almost-ancient vanity in the corner and I placed the dress on the back of the seat. After I sat down, I decided that it was the perfect time to open the box of makeup that I stored in its drawer. I lifted the lid and lightly brushed on some gold eyeshadow. I put on a light red color of lipstick and closed the box. I stood up from the chair and put on the dress. I found a pair of black heels under a few coats and a black handbag with shells sewn into the fabric.

The half empty bottle of lily oil perfume was one of the last finishing touches. I slipped on the shoes and gracefully walked out of the bathroom, I hadn't ever worn the shoes in my life. I bought them while in mind that I would wear them on Harry and I's honeymoon in Italy; apparently, I never did. I passed by the mirror pressed up against the wall adjacent to my bed. I stood in front of it, shifting my body to the side, making sure every inch from top to bottom was okay. I found my purse lying on the bed, I transferred only the necessary things I needed into the small handbag. I smiled with a nod, walked into the hallway only to see Mimmi and Sirena set down some shopping bags on my kitchen counter.

"Oh. Hi, Rita!" Sirena gleefully said. I approached the two and smiled. Mimmi sat down on one of the stool.

"Rita, you look great." Mimmi looked me up and down.

"Thank you… So what did you girls do today?" I asked, they faced each other for a moment. Mimmi nodded at Sirena, hinting her to speak.

"We went to the pod, Aquata just became a mermaid school teacher and Ondina is the assistant." She giggled. "We got the impression she didn't really enjoy it." Mimmi adjusted on the seat and faced me.

"We also went shopping since I got paid on Wednesday." Mimmi smiled.

"Oh yeah!" Sirena turned around and pulled out a floral patterned dress from a pink bag. She held it against her body to show me.

"It's lovely, I know you always find the most wonderful outfits." I said to her.

"Thanks." She grinned from ear to ear, just as I always found pleasure in her bright smiles. "Anyway, Rita why are you so dress up? What kind of date are you going on with Dr. Ross?"

"Oh, Mitch… it's our one year anniversary of being boyfriend and girlfriend." I paused. "Although, strangely I have no clue where he's taking me for dinner, I must have forgotten where he said it was going to be." I pursed my lips, Mimmi tilted her head in response. As I opened my mouth to speak, the doorbell rang. "Oh, that'll be him!" I grinned. I made my way down two steps before I turned around. "Try not to get into trouble, but if you do, call me." They nodded. "Alright, be safe." I descended down the rest of the stairs and opened the door.

"Hello, beautiful." Mitch said, he kissed me on the cheek. As he leaned over, I heard a crunching of tissue paper. "What's that?" I asked. He stood upright and pulled a gift bag from behind his back.

"Here," He handed me the gift with a smile, I reached inside and felt a cold shape. I pulled it out with one hand.

"Oh. Um, it's a...mermaid." I nervously chuckled as I held the small, blue, glass mermaid sculpture in my hands.

"Is it okay? If you don't like it, I can always get you something else." He asked with concern.

"No! No, it's lovely. Thank you." I reached to kiss him on the cheek. "I'll put it on the kitchen table." I rushed back up the stairs and placed the bag and gift on the kitchen counter. Mimmi and Sirena, still in the same place, exchanged whispers. I went back to Mitch and looked up at him.

"I have a plan for where we're going for dinner." He grinned.

"So I'm not forgetful after all, I thought I'd forgotten what you said." I laughed.

"Shall we go?" He asked followed by him reaching out his arm. With the response of my hand curling around his bicep, I heard a rhythm of footsteps from the top of the stairs. I looked up and saw Mimmi and Sirena wave. "Bye, girls."

We walked down the hill to his parked car. We got in his car and drove to down the road as the sunset brushed against the world, giving everything an orange tint. I laid my head on the side of the window and felt the vibrations of the car engine. I felt the warm sun touch my face as if it kissed me goodbye.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Hi, I'm back, I've been hovering above you in spirit, giggling waiting for your reaction to every little nasty, uncomfortable detail. Nah, but I just want to ramble now about how I've spent so much of my time, in which I could have been doing something with my life, just typing and deleting and acting out BUT MOSTLY deleting. (I put acting out, didn't I? crap.) So where do I start, oh yeah. I'll just put all the shitty plots that have come out of the glop in my skull down below. Most of these shitty ideas come from holding in farts. Don't hold in your farts, kids, 'cause that's how stupid people are born! (Oh my fucking god, that was a horrible joke. I probably offended so many people just now.) ANywAy…

Copy and Paste.

WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK PLOTS

Rita and Mitch start off the story with the first date which is rita and mitch have to drive to his house after the reservations for the restaurant get messed up, rita takes off her nice coat and mitch cooks a nice salmon dinner and they sit at the small table, Mitch also has a small apartment just because he had to move there because of the marine park job which he will explain to ritabecause YOU CAN NOT HAVE A SMALL APARTMENT IF YOU ARE RICH AF and mitch smiles and asks if she wants to play a game she's like WTF OK and mitch explains, "answer small funny question and relate stories to them" he starts asking about her childhood, "what was the funniest thing you ever did to a friend when you were a kid?" Rita thinks about it for a while and comes up with "I remember swimming on the reef with my friend and I picked up a crab and it pinch her... foot. We surfaced and I started laughing and she was splashing me. I remember it like it was yesterday." Mitch smiles as rita giggles. Rita then asks Mitch about what he did near the ocean as a kid. Mitch tells her that he would go to the beach with his parents and he would pick up small sea snails, shells, and crabs and take them home to study them. Rita frowns and doesn't like how he took them home, they belong in the wild. Mitch looks at rita and senses that he said something wrong. Rita asks if her ever put them back, Mitch says no. Rita is like, "ok then." Mitch then asks why she never goes near the water anymore and that she always avoids when he asks her about going to the beach and she is like, "I just don't like the water, I'll go on the sand just not in the water, I was in an accident, I got swept out one day and it scared me so I've been afraid ever since." Mitch is concerned and rita explains to the reader that she just uses that excuse for everything. "Tell you what… we'll go to the beach this weekend near your house and we'll face the waves together." Rita freaks and is like, "mitch another time ok?" He agrees, he asks if they want to watch a movie, he says he tiramisu in the fridge, he takes it out and rita is like ok, she tries it she likes it and she sits on his couch and mitch comes with the plate of cake and she asks what they're going to watch , then OH OH OH THERE'S ONE PARAGRAPH WHERE IT"S IN HIS PERSPECTIVE! He says that he might put on a scary movie because he read that the girl is going to cuddle up next to you because they are scared. But when he shows her the movie she's all like WTF IS THAT? and he's like okaaaaayyyyy…. she's never heard of this so um wtf do i do? So he picks out a romance movie from the states, AGE OF ADALINE cause you know stuff, it just came out on freaking dvd. and Rita likes the movie and connects with it,can't tell a secret… awwwww. and then she listens to quotes from the movie and you get a sense about what it is. Rita starts to tear up in the car chase scene where adaline is crying and running away because she's exposed and Mitch asks why rita is cry and rita says she isn't crying and Mitch wraps his arms around her. They cuddle closer AWWWW and after the movie they're sitting on the couch. Mitch looks at rita and they gaze into each other's eyes, they're looking up and down at each other because rita is like cuddled up next to him rita says, "Mitch if I ever needed you to trust me, would you?" or something romantic like that. "Now why would you say something like that? I trust you already, anything you say, I put faith into. I already trust you with my love, is there anymore to ask?" AWWW something like that. THAT QUOTE IS F-ING BEAUTIFUL ANyway Mitch and rita kiss and then it become a long kiss THEN IT BECOMES MIMMI AND CHRIS TYPEKISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGG and then rita's LOVE POTION is activated. (NEED TO DELETE ENTIRE BEDROOM SCENE TO ON THE F-ING FLOOR/COUCH. EVIL LAUGH* BAHHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA) Scene cuts to morning, on the floor the small couch throw on the floor and Mitch sleeping next to her. Oh…..(rita's reaction) SHIT. SHe tries to get up and puts her hand on the coffee table but sticks her hand in cake from last night and she \'s like "oh crap." and she turns into a mermaid and she falls back onto the ground on her face. ABHAAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAAHAA and like mitch hears the thud and wakes up and turns around but rita is in her invisibility and hides. "Rita?" MItch stands up as he puts on his clothes. And rita is like EWWWW WTF. And turns her head in the opposite direction. Rita tries to scoot away but then MItch walks and trips over her. ABHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAH and Rita yelps, "OWW!" And mitch falls on his face. and freaks out cause no one is there and he turns around and rita is like trying to scoot away still. MItch is like, "RITA?! WHERE TF ARE YOU?!" And she still tries to scoot away until mitch waves his hand in the spot where he tripped and smacks Rita in the head pounding her head into the floor. He hand is knocked out of her invisibility as her nose starts to bleed from getting knocked into the floor. BHAahbahAAHAHAAHAHAHHA and Rita is like, "OOOOWWW!" And holding her nose. "WTF WAS ThAT FOR?!" out of anger. And Mitch is just, "WTF ARE YOU?! OMG HOLY SHIT!" and rita freaks out and tries to hide again but her head hurts from the nose bleed. So she just lays there and she's like, "mitch remember that trust I asked about, well here's where you can keep your word." And mitch freaks out and is like, "YOU LIED TO ME HOW CAN I TRUST YOU NOW!" and rita just weakly looks up at him, "Mitch, just…. I'll explain."

Main points Rita and Mitch Ross become a mother and father unexpectedlyMimmi and Cam get together but Chris returns and Cam and him start fightingNixie and Lyla return and they die in a car crash

Mitch and Rita's story: Rita and Mitch are going to have their one year anniversary at a fancy restaurant in the city, the restaurant has trouble and can't get them a table for like two hours, they leave and go to Mitch's apartment, they have a nice dinner and Mitch offers her some wine, Rita refuses Mitch insists (alcohol makes a mermaid crazy) She wakes up in his bed "bare" while he is still sleeping, she sorta pets his hair like Poseidon is there but she feels his face, she freaks out and paces across the room, she sees her clothes on the floor and she goes into the bathroom. Mitch wakes up and calls to Rita, "What are you doing?" "Wishing I could drown myself, but I can't." Mitch walks into the bathroom and finds Rita eyes closed in the water, she was in her tail, she looked like she wasn't breathing, she turned her head towards him and opened her eyes slowly to see Mitch jump. He starts to freak out and ask her like a million questions. She leans her head against the back of the wall. "Mitch what did we do last night?" (Last verse)

Rita's story: She starts to get small sharp pains in her stomach and head during meetings and stuff. She shrugs them off for about half a month, (potion thing hasn't been resolved, still ages as if a regular 32 year old) she then gets a large pain in her side and runs to the bathroom only to throw up in the toilet bowl. She unbuttons her shirt and only exposes her white bra. She gets up, has a small panic about if she's pregnant, because she has heard of it but never thought that a mermaid could ever get pregnant and she starts to doubt it. She gets herself fixed backup and doesn't tell Mitch or anybody about it and goes to the drugstore in a thin coat with a hood. She sneaks into the aisle with pregnancy tests and pulls one off of the shelf. A staff member walks by and sees a glimpse of Rita's face. Rita starts to rush a little, pick up her pace, and pay for it and try to get out of there as fast as she could. Rita hopes that the staff member saw nothing.

AUTHOR'S NOTE (RANT) CONTINUATION

Finally... I think I've finished putting all the parts together. It's 4am and I'm playing really relaxing songs so I don't lose my sanity to the silence of night. I'm feeling quite awake for some crappy reason but whatever. Oh, I forgot to mention, this is where I explain what was going on in my head while writing this disturbing story. Where do I start…

1: A year or so after Season 2 came out, (I was obsessed with Rita when Season 1 came out, so it's been since I can remember) I started to imagine Rita and Dr. Ross going on a date. After that it turned into, NAH I'M KIDDING AS FUCK! After watching "Meeting Rita" in Season 1, I always imagined Harry and Rita's damn kid. HAHAHAHH. I'm not those people who gradually works their way from idea to idea, I jump straight into VERY odd things. Don't get me started on Miss Raine from Dance Academy. Just don't. EVER. It will never end. So I've had pregnant Rita in the back of my mind since Season 1. I just needed someone NOT DEAD to be the father. (:Y) SOOO that's when Jonathan M. Shiff decides to throw a random episode in there where Rita gets one shot at a love life with this handsome man. In Season 3, SPOILERS AHEAD, Jon just decides to never touch the subject again and that pisses me off BIG TIME. Instead at a shot at love life, Jon makes Rita QUIT HER DAMN PRINCIPAL JOB and be a free FISH HOBO. Also in addition to that, she takes a cup of tea on accident and turns into a FREAKIN' ELDERLY AMNESIA-OTIC (that's not even a word, that's how pissed I am) BOZO! #&E(! $&! ! Yeah, Dr. Ross didn't even see Rita ever in the new season. I cried, I was so ready for this season, but they left so many damn questions. NOT JUST with the plot but WITH MY SHIP, MY BEAUTIFUL SHIP! Fuck it, I'm just going to get myself a life now.

2: OK HOLY SHIT. So Before this entire one pager used to only be two versions, I just found my computer's trash and I found the very first copy that I transferred over to Quotev, the first fanfic website I knew. When I was on Quotev, I thought lots of people were on it, hahaha, I was so naive. That website gets NOBODY. So I was such a newbie to writing stuff and stories, I didn't know how to just think like Rita, I only saw Rita as a character, I didn't know how to be absolutely obsessed with Rita and Kerith, I know how to step into her shoes and act like her. I treat her and her character so differently now. So the first version you see was what I produced from seven nights of winter break. OMG, a post-panic of laying all over Mitch was going to have a hangover, I thankfully scrapped the idea.

3: Version 2, I was planning to make Rita younger with a potion, but it was too much considering there was already an episode of her acting young. I can't just recycle that same potion, the girls would obviously not even try to touch the same ingredients that they used for that lotion. Chapter 2 was just full of random crap just to fill up the time gap of getting to third period. There was no significance to wasting your time with Rita messing with teenagers and being having bitchy Trumble be basically BITCHY to Rita. Chapter 3… yeah. This was suppose to get Rita to try to fix the potion, make it worse and create another spell, the love potion. I don't know why I needed another potion for her, I didn't know if 44 year olds could still get laid. (HAHAHA my innocent mind, where did it go….) That would make Rita go "googoo?" over Mitch and eventually make their children. (Oh my god, seeeee, I put too much effort into this shit, you better not put any dumb crap in my comments…) I gave her super hearing, so I could write a scene where she hazily walks out of a classroom. I'M SO sorry I wasted everyone's time with unnecessary events that make no difference to the plot. OH SHIT, it's 5am. Um… long story short, I had to rewrite a lot of snippets and most of the time I could have used writing, I used editing and making each snippet perfect. TOTAL WASTE OF TIME. Oh, with the birth scene confusion, I wrote the post labor scene after listening (don't ask) to my teacher talk about how she went through 36 hours of labor (uncommon cases) before having her son so I had to rethink making Rita have her kids in an hour. I was going to carry the worsening of contractions over the course of a day, eventually having her children in the early hours of the morning. Evie and Zac were going to show up through the Grotto that afternoon to say hi and congrats.

4: OH OH OH! I tried to write book 2 before I barely started writing book 1. Lyla was going to die and fuck, here's the damn plot line.

Chris and Cam start fighting for the hand of Mimmi. Cam starts fighting Chris but then Lyla and Nixie come back, they are in the car with Rita and Sirena. Going to dinner and they get in a side collision. Lyla dies 13 hours after from bleeding out. Nixie gets hurt badly, Sirena is ok but bruised and helps de mermaids away from the car crash scene and helps them go back to Rita's house. Zac, Cam, David come after Sirena calls them to come help on Rita's phone, Rita is still awake but barely and is going to fall asleep and she hears Sirena on phone whimpering and crying. RIta is flung upside down while Lyla is dying, and Nixie is passed out. Rita is out on the floor. She almost passes out but she hears the boys and they pick her up and sit her in a different car. She sees lyla and nixie in the back of the car and zac is driving and she passes out. Sirena, Cam, and David are going to solve the car accident problem and lie and Sirena was in the front, Cam and David were in the back and they were fine.

Ok, I'm so sorry this had to come to you in such a crazy one pager, I mean, it wasn't that bad, confusing but you see my idea. I just wish that everything I see in my head could just turn into words or a little movie outside of my skull. I can't just get Kerith Atkinson and Paul Bishop to reenact the crap going on in my brain, it would be very awkward. VERY. Alright, I love you all.

Don't be tainted like I am, kids (even though I'm probably like the same age) FIND YOURSELF A LIFE, KIDS!

Peace,

MB

Dear Reader/s,

A request given by one of you suggested that I put my crazy, hectic collection of snippets together. I finally got fed up with the war between summer laziness and my motivation to do random shit at the most awkward time span of 2-4am. I kept putting "fix fanfic" on every to do list of each day since the day I stopped getting homework. If you're a new reader, GOOD FREAKIN' LUCK. Before Season 3 of Mako RUINED ALL of my hopes of the love story between Ross and Rita, I wrote this fanfic of them having the last shot at having kids and getting married. I did so much goddamn research at 6am before school about "what are the odds of a 44 year old having children in one go?" (No, I didn't actually Google that, but I researched everything about Rita and Kerith) I hope this story haunts your subconscious so I can get talk about it and how it's the weird side of the internet. (I'm just the border of the "weird side" you've probably seen my profile on the MM Instagram Fandom.) ROSSSITAAAA! (Yeah, you know me.) OK, HOLY SHIT, I should just shut the fuck up and do an author's note.

BUHAHAAAH enjoy :)

Original Version (4am winter break writes):

Rita and Dr. Mitch Ross. The school is staring at her... Waking up in his bed hungover… Mermaid, merman, or human? This is a story you don't want to miss. (Rated M, strong language and mature content).

This is a story about Rita and Mitch. I totally shipped it, sadly it was short-lived. (Harry is Rita's long-dead fiance {refresher} and I found Mitch's name in H20 on his name tag) Okay, Enjoy! :)

 **CHAPTER 1**

It's been a month since the pod has come back, I'm glad that the girls can see everyone again. I'm proud of them for trying so hard to bring them back. The Mermaid Council has allowed me to return, but I turned the offer down. My life is on land now, besides I have been on a few dates with Mitch. He is so sweet, but I'm still embarrassed by what I did while I was under the girls' potion, that was basically my first impression. I don't remember but they told me that I acted like a ten year old, I must have been ridiculous. I think we both are interested in each other, but I feel awkward when I'm around him. He makes me feel like when Harry was around. I don't think I'll tell Mitch about Harry, it's just very awkward. I think I'll keep it until the time is right, I _do_ want to be with him.

All I can think of was last night. Mitch called me on the phone, he asked me if I wanted to go to dinner in the evening with him in the city. I couldn't turn him down at all, I love seeing him. I know that if I go I could risk getting wet but I've had a lot of experience, what could go wrong. I walked into the Grotto and I was greeted by the girls making something with a few crushed shells on my spell table.

"Good morning, girls! Looks like you have been busy, what are you making?" I asked Mimmi and Sirena.

"We're experimenting based on some potion recipes with some things we found on the reef last week." Sirena answered. She broke a small piece of coral in half and placed it in a bowl.

"I'm going for a swim, it's still early morning, I have time." I told them, I smiled. They looked at each other in confusion, they started to giggled.

"You're in a good mood. Are you going on a date with Dr. Ross?" Mimmi asked.

"What's wrong with that? Well... he did ask me to dinner." I looked down at my hands blushing.

"Actually, Rita, that's good!" Don't worry we'll clean up when we're done. Now go have fun." Sirena smiled at me. "Oh, and by the way, Ondina is at the Moon Pool, she decided to sleep in."

"Ok, then I'll avoid her while she's grumpy." I headed up the steps to the tunnel entrance. "Bye, girls."

"Bye, Rita!" Sirena and Mimmi said. Then they went back to what they were doing.

I walked up to the pool, took off my shoes, and dipped my legs in. It felt good to get out of legs, so I swam out onto the reef. I started to think about what I would wear tonight. Then, I remembered the first time Mitch asked me to do something with him. It was the day Mimmi came to the Marine Park with me. When we were walking to fill out some paperwork for the elective class, he asked me if I wanted to go to lunch with him so that we could get to know each other better. I let my guard down and agreed faster than I could think of what possibilities may happen. I felt excited when he asked me. We stared at each other and kept smiling, it was so uncomfortable. From that moment, I knew that I liked Mitch.

I came back from my swim into the entrance. I pulled myself out of the water and dried my tail off. I got up from the ground and went back into the Grotto to get my work bag. It was behind the spell table, I assumed that the girls weren't done with their potion and went to gather more ingredients. I was trying to be smart about avoiding the mixture from being messed up so I bent under the table to grab my bag. I pulled the handles of the bag, but I hit my head on the table. I hoped that nothing happened, but I was wrong, the glass bottle with purple liquid tipped over and started to drip on my arm. I quickly stood back up and put the bottle back where it was. I saw the purple liquid on my arm, so I tried to rub it off as much as I could. I hoped that nothing bad would happen to me. I slung my bag onto my arm and rushed out of the Grotto to work. I started to wonder why it didn't make me fall into my tail. That worried me into thinking that something happened when it dripped on me. I wished that it wouldn't effect my date.

 **CHAPTER 2**

I was walking to my office, when Tina walked down the hall. Tina was amazing in her interview, I could tell she wanted this job very much. She professionally dressed up each day, pulling her hair into a ponytail, and completing her confident look with faux diamond covered, black flats.

"Good Morning, Principal Santos," She brushed her brown, wavy bangs out of her face. I could tell she was a little nervous. She was holding a clipboard and a pen.

"Good Morning, Miss Bailey," I replied.

"Um... I wondering... uh, the swim team would like... if you could coach for today's practice," She stuttered. "if that's ok with you."

"Miss Bailey, I'm sorry but I'm a little busy today, maybe I can help another time?" I gave her a disappointed look.

"I thought it would come to this," I heard Tina mumble under her breath. I unlocked my door and look at her confused.

"the swim team actually has no choice on a substitute today while Coach Norris is sick." She continued.

"Can the team call in a staff member by the end of the day?" I asked, hoping that I could get around the situation.

"All the available substitutes are needed in different classes and I am tutoring students in math classes." She explained, I knew I had no other choice but have to go near that pool today.

"Ok, Miss Bailey, I'll fill in for Mr. Norris." I smiled at her. I silently sighed, this spelled trouble.

"Oh! Thank you, Principal Santos. I will tell the swim team." She nodded. I walked into my office and sorted the new papers on my desk. Today was going to be long.

I had just finished up a parent conference five minutes before the last bell of the day rang. I knew I had twenty minutes before I had to go to the swim practice. I had a feeling that I was going to have some sort of trouble during all of it. I put some paperwork into my bag and walked out of my office. I turned around and put the keys into the lock but I stopped. I let go of the keys and stepped back from the door, I felt my back hit the wall behind me. I stared at the keys as they swayed. I felt weak and tired, so I started to slide down the wall onto my knees. I kept staring at the keys as they moved slower and slower. I sat down and I tilted my head, my eyes felt no urge to stay open. I started to feel powerless over motion, then I fell into a paralyzed sleep.

I opened my eyes, it felt like I must have been unconscious for eternity. I was sitting down with my back against the wall and my legs straight out and on top of each other in front of me. I realized that I felt energized and fully awake. I got up still unstable but functional. I locked the office door and grabbed my bag off of the floor. I thought I would be late for the practice so I looked at my watch. I must've wasted at least ten to fifteen minutes asleep. Strangely, I still had nineteen minutes to get ready for it. I was scared by the thought of why I passed out on the floor in front of my office. I couldn't place my mind on why for some reason, I knew that I had a possible reason but I couldn't remember it. I decided to resolve the issue after the swim practice, so I cleared my mind and focused on my main priority. I walked down the office hall and out to the courtyard halls. I saw Mrs. Trumble and I didn't want to deal with her so I pulled out a binder in my bag and buried my face in it. I hoped that she would pass by without acknowledging me, but of course I was wrong and she stopped.

"Principal Santos." She gave me a fake smile. I rolled my eyes and closed the binder in my hands.

"Hello, Mrs. Trumble." I looked at her and gave her a fake grin in exchange. When she looked at me, her face looked as if she had just seen a ghost. Her stiff posture dropped and she backed away from me slowly.

"Mrs. Trumble, you were saying," I tried to catch her eye and I looked at her like she was going crazy.

"Principal Santos, I don't know what kind of formula you have used but you are looking very different." She kept looking at me in disbelief. "Were you using any sort of rejuvenating face cream or treatment something over the break?"

"Are you joking with me?" I looked at her, shaking me head.

"No, actually, I am so sorry for all the times I had be extremely rude to you." Mrs. Trumble was starting to spook me. "What's your secret?" She asked me as she observed my face. I kept shaking me head, all I could think was that she was kidding.

"Mrs. Trumble, if you have nothing important to discuss, will you excuse me." I walked around her. I had no idea what she was talking about, but the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to see my face. I looked behind me and she was still standing there, looking puzzled. That scared me so I rushed to the swimming pool. I hoped that there would be some kind of glass so I could see my reflection. I decided that I would try to find a mirror or glass along the way, but I kept being crowded by students. I looked at my watch, I only had six minutes to get there. I somehow manage to get myself on the other side of the school. I couldn't run in these shoes so I pulled off my heels and ran across campus, I had no idea why I took off my shoes because I could have stepped in water. Also, I thought it was odd that I didn't care what anyone thought of me running barefoot. I had a familiar moment when I was younger, I remember running away from Harry without saying goodbye on one of our dates. I took off my high heels and ran to the beach, I knew that I had very little time to get back to Mako Island before the pod would find out that I had been gone. I felt as if this was usual for me to run, but I was in a time crunch and I had to be at that practice.

 **CHAPTER 3**

I made it to the swimming pool just as the team was getting ready. The team looked at me as I slipped my heels back on. They all gave me the same puzzled face, just as Mrs. Trumble did. The pressure of staring eyes got to me, and I cracked. I walked up to Thomas Dimhaul.

"Thomas, why is everyone staring at my face, what's wrong with it?" I asked calmly. Thomas looked scared to answer me. I probably wasn't going to get a straight answer.

"No, nothing... Ms. Santos. You...you look ok." He stuttered. I let out a frustrated sigh. I asked him a simple question and I got a useless answer that didn't even make sense.

"Thank you, Thomas." I blew steam from my nose in frustration, I smiled at him and walked away. I reached in my bag for my whistle and I sat it on the bench.

"Good Afternoon, Miss Bailey most likely informed you that I would be filling in for Mr. Norris. So, I am going to start you off with a small exercise." I raised my voice. I noticed that some of them were whispering, I was starting to get annoyed by how awkward this all was. "Let's start by doing laps ." I blew the whistle and set the timer. I couldn't wait until this was all over, I needed to see my face.

After an hour of swimming practice, I blew the whistle, I felt relieved that nothing wrong happened.

"Ok, good work everybody! You will be seeing Coach Norris tomorrow." I decided to be patient and wait until everyone was gone. I walked to the bench and picked up my bag. I turned around and I saw Thomas rapped up in a towel, he started to walk towards me.

"Principal Santos, um... would I get in trouble if I told you honestly. It's about... about your face." He looked at me nervously.

"No, Thomas. It would really be helpful though." I told him. I smiled, I finally could get an answer.

"You look younger and like someone at this school, like a student or something. It's really creepy, like you're in old people clothes but you look too young." He stared at my clothes and scratched his head.

"Oh... thank you, Thomas." * _Really. (T_T)_ * I disappointedly look at him and gestured for him to go back inside. I forgot about the water situation very quickly, I had to see my face now. I picked up my pace alongside the pool but in the corner of my eye I could see the puddles of water glistening on the edge. I was glad that I wasn't stepping on them. Just as I thought about it, my heel slipped, I tried to keep my balance but it was too late, I slide across the ground. I threw my bag and it fell onto ledge, I fell into the pool. My ignorance got the best of me, I transformed into my tail ten seconds after hitting the water. I swam back up to the surface and looked around. I didn't see anyone around so I swam back down into the water. I sat at the bottom of the pool and let my mind process all the things that happened. I sat there for a while until I realized that this was nothing and I have been through worse than this so I swam up to the pool ledge. I threw myself onto the side and I dried my tail off. All of this must have taken ten minutes of my time. I stood up, but I felt a sudden urge to cry. I was getting confused by all these emotions, so I grabbed my bag off of the floor and _walked_ to the nearest staff's bathroom. I saw a sign on the door that said, " _closed for repair."_ "This day just got utterly horrible!" I mumbled to myself.I threw my arms up in frustration and ran up to an awards shelf.

"Finally!" I looked at my face in the reflection. _My eyes, my lips, my nose, my cheeks._ All my wrinkles near my eyes and forehead were gone, all my indents in my neck and cheeks have seemed to disappear. How could I not notice my hands?! They were smooth and perfect. I looked like I was in my late twenties. I was so disturbed by my appearance that I screamed. I kept touching my face and wondering if I really was dreaming all of it. I turned around and was faced by the astronomy club, they jump back from me and rushed down the hall. I was so scared about this but still so fascinated by my sudden age phenomenon. I excitedly rushed back home

Second Version:

Chapter 1

It's been a year since the pod has come back, I'm glad that the girls can see everyone again. I'm proud of them for trying so hard to bring them back. The Mermaid Council has allowed me to return, but I turned the offer down. My life is on land now, besides I've been with Mitch, the sweetest boyfriend I could ever have. I remember when we first met, we were suppose to be professional about our meeting to discuss the marine biology elective but I couldn't help but blush and stare at him. We couldn't stop smiling at each other, we both felt this _spark._ You know that kind of spark between two people when they first lay eyes on each other and you feel this connection even though you haven't spoken a word to them yet? A spark that you can't actually describe but you know what it feels like. I see him all the time and we date but I still feel awkward around him since I haven't told him about Harry or that I'm a fish.

It's our one year anniversary and Mitch called me last night. He made reservations at a restaurant in the city, I couldn't wait. I walked down into the Grotto and was greeted by the girls making something with a few crushed shells on my spell table.

"Good morning, girls! Looks like you've been busy, what are you making?" I asked Mimmi and Sirena.

"We're experimenting based on some potion recipes with some things we found on the reef last week." Sirena answered. She broke a small piece of coral in half and placed it in a wooden bowl.

"I'm going for a swim, it's still early morning and I have time." I told them, I smiled. They looked at each other in confusion, they started to giggled.

"You're in a good mood. Are you going on a date with Dr. Ross again?" Mimmi asked.

"Not just a date, but our one year anniversary." I looked down at my hands blushing.

"Really? Time really does fly on land just as sea. Don't worry we'll clean up when we're done. Now go have fun!" Sirena smiled at me. "Oh, and by the way, Ondina is out on the reef hanging out with her old friends in the pod."

"Well, she does have a lot of catching up to do." I joked, I headed up the steps to the tunnel entrance. "Bye, girls."

"Bye, Rita!" Sirena and Mimmi said. Then they went back to making their potion.

I walked up to the pool, took off my shoes, and dipped my legs in. It felt relieving to get out of them and I swam out onto the reef. I started to think about what I would wear that night. Then, I remembered the first time Mitch asked me to do something with him.

It was early morning and Mitch was still 'Dr. Ross' to me. We were in my office signing papers for the elective.

"Ms. Santos, I wanted to bring up a question for a while," Dr. Ross started.

"The elective class is going to be a success, thank you for doing this, Dr. Ross." I un-intentionally avoided what he was going to say. He grinned, trying to hint me of his question."Oh! Oh... what was it that you wanted to ask me?" I asked. I looked down at the papers and back up at him.

"Yes, but I wanted to ask you if you would like to discuss things over lunch." He nervously smiled.

"About the elective?" I asked, unaware that I was being ignorant about the conclusion that he liked me.

"Yeah, about that," He paused. "I want to get to know you better, and not just about the elective." He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Are- are you asking me... on a date?" I questioned, I suddenly felt myself blush.

"Yes, if you're interested." He blushed intensively.

"Oh, I'd love to go!" I blurted out, I looked down stunned at the sudden reaction.

"I'm Mitch, by the way."

"Call me Rita."

I felt excited when he asked me, I forgot about my distant profile that I wanted to maintain, but I couldn't help it. We stared at each other and kept smiling, it was remarkably uncomfortable. From that moment, I knew I couldn't resist him even if I tried.

I came back from my swim into the entrance. I pulled myself out of the water and dried my tail off. I got up from the ground and went back into the Grotto to get my work bag. It was behind the spell table, I assumed that the girls weren't done with their potion and went to gather more ingredients. I was trying to be clever about avoiding the mixture from being messed up so I bent under the table to grab my bag. I pulled the handles of the bag but I hit my head on the table. I hoped that nothing happened, but I was wrong. The purple liquid filled, glass bottle on the table surface tipped over and started to drip on my arm. I quickly stood back up and put the bottle back where it was. I saw the purple mixture on my arm, so I tried to rub it off as much as I could. I assumed that nothing bad would happen to me. I slung my bag onto my arm and rushed out of the Grotto to work. I started to wonder why it didn't make me transform into my tail. That worried me into thinking that something happened when it dripped on me. I hoped that it wouldn't effect my date.

* * *

Chapter 2

I saw Tina scrambling across the hall as I was walking to my office. Tina was amazing in her interview, I could tell she wanted this job very much. She professionally dressed up each day, pulling her hair back, and completing her confident look with black, faux diamond covered flats.

"Good Morning, Principal Santos," She brushed her brown, wavy bangs out of her face. I could tell she was a little nervous. She was holding a clipboard and a pen.

"Good Morning, Miss Bailey," I replied.

"Um... I wondering... uh, the science class in block six actually needs a substitute... maybe, you could fill in just for one class?" She stuttered. "If that's okay with you."

"Miss Bailey, I'm sorry but I'm a little busy today," I gave her a disappointed look. "but I can next time."

"I thought it would come to this," I heard Tina mumble under her breath. I unlocked my door and turned to look at her.

"The science department doesn't have any other choice since Mrs. Baker left sick with a horrible cold." She continued. "They only need you for the third class since the substitute has a meeting to go to before third period."

"Can the department call in a staff member at break?" I asked, hoping that I could get around the situation. I didn't know why I wanted to not teach, I usually loved to see students get involved in their education. If it involved a large amount of water, I would have tried to avoid it, but this was nothing compared to that.

"There are no available substitutes at such short notice and I'm teaching my first marine biology class today." She explained, I knew I had no other choice but have to go.

"Okay, Miss Bailey, I'll fill in for Mrs. Baker." I smiled at her. I sighed, I didn't know the cause of this rebellion feel.

"Oh! Thank you, Principal Santos. I will tell the science department." She nodded.

I had just finished up a parent conference five minutes before the last bell of first period rang. I started to feel a slight headache, but I ignored it the best I could. As if by instinct, I had a feeling that I was going to have some sort of trouble during that class. I put some paperwork into my bag and walked out of my office. I turned around and put the keys into the lock but I stopped. I let go of the keys and stepped back from the door, I felt my back hit the wall behind me. I stared at the keys as they swayed. I felt weak and tired, so I started to slide down the wall onto my knees. I kept staring at the keys as they moved slower and slower. I sat down and I tilted my head, my eyes felt no urge to stay open. I started to feel powerless over motion, then I fell into a paralyzed sleep.

I opened my eyes, it felt like I must have been unconscious for eternity. I was sitting down with my back against the wall and my legs straight out and on top of each other in front of me. I realized that I felt energized and fully awake. I got up still unstable but functional, I pulled the keys out of the door lock and grabbed my bag off of the floor. I thought I would be late for second period so I looked at my watch. I must've wasted at least ten to fifteen minutes asleep, strangely, I had only wasted two minutes. I was scared by the thought of why I passed out on the floor in front of my office. I didn't know if it was mermaid-related or not. I decided to resume on the issue after I finished up my main task on hand. I walked down the hall and noticed that the pool wasn't being used. I felt an urge to swim, I looked around, no one was really paying attention to me so I snuck through the staff-only halls.

I made it to the pool area, I placed my bag under the bleachers and pulled out all of the clips in my hair. I threw them into the bag and shook my head to let my wavy curls fall onto my shoulders. I took off my heels and sat them out of sight next to my bag. I dived into the pool, embracing the cool water hitting my skin. My legs fused together into my tail. I swam to the surface and floated on my back. I stared at the cloud-filled, blue sky, and swayed my arms through the water. I had no idea why I wanted to go for a swim, I didn't care about the risks. I didn't care about where I was swimming. Sure, I maybe had a few small responsibilities throughout second period but I could handle it after school. I closed my eyes until I heard footsteps, I opened my eyes and swam down to the bottom of the pool.

"Here, we have the swimming pool area. This is where the school swim team practices each day." I heard a man say. I hid myself and peeked my eyes through the water. I watched as he guided young, incoming students.

"Mr. Davin, where can we sign up for clubs?" A student asked.

"Good question, Henry. We will discuss that on our way to the club signing area." Mr. Davin replied. I held my breathe and patiently waited for the tour group to leave. I watched as the students followed Mr. Davin outside of the pool area. I was about to climb out until I saw four kids still hanging around the gate. They broke away from the tour group and were chatting. They looked like trouble, one of the kids pointed at the pool and they started to take off their jackets. _Oh_ _no_ _you_ _don't_. I pulled myself up on the ledge and stuck out my hand, still hidden from plain sight. They started to walk towards the pool, I froze the floor as they stepped across the ground. The group stopped and looked around their feet. It was so unnatural that there was ice forming in seventy-seven degree weather.

"Ah! Guys, we have to go, this is weird!" One of the boys with blue streaks in his hair, shrieked looking down.

"Go! Go! Go, before we get in trouble!" The girl in the group threw the leather jackets at the boys.

They all ran outside of the pool gate and I giggled at their faces. I pulled myself out of the pool and dried myself off. I had no idea why I went to the pool. I pondered on my motivation to being unusually ridiculous. _What kind of principal takes a dip into the school swimming pool at second period?_ I picked up my things and straightened out my shirt and dress pants. I rushed to the science classrooms and found the room I was looking for. I waited in the corner, humming a song I learned long ago with the pod. I pulled out the binder in my bag and flipped through the pages. No one seemed to be around so I started to sing quietly as I read the schedule.

 _Crystal clear of ocean waves_

 _Float into our beautiful home of caves_

 _Swim to the deepest blue_

 _Find worlds that you never knew_

 _Watch the stars shine bright_

 _Over the world through the night_

 _Mermaids of our pod-_

"Singing, Ms. Santos," A voice rang out. _Oh, god!_ I jumped and closed the binder. _She heard me singing._ "Isn't going to do anything for this school right now." My long-despised enemy gave me her usual Cheshire Cat-like smile.  
"Mrs. Trumble," I acknowledged her unneeded and unwanted presence. I kept my head low underneath a large wavy lock of my hair. I _was_ relieved that I hadn't come across her all week, my spirits dropped significantly.

"I _still_ am considering grabbing the school board's attention over any foul mistake that can be marked up." She deviously shot at me. I looked up at her, hoping that I would cleverly come up with a smart comeback as soon as I met her eyes with mine. Instead, I met her eyes and she backed away from me.

"Mrs. Trumble, why are you doing that?" I paused. "Do I have something on my face?" I confusedly asked her.

"You-you…Somehow, you-you look _different._ " She stuttered, she studied my face as I raised an eyebrow at her unusual behavior.

"Mrs. Trumble, what? What are you talking about?" I shook my head.

"It's a good different. You must have used something, what kind of face cream did you use?" She asked, as if she was an old friend. "But, if your intentions were to scare me with your eye contacts, it didn't work." Her tone fell.

"What?" I shook my head. "Mrs. Trumble, if you have nothing important, will you excuse me. I have a class to substitute in matter of minutes." I sternly said.

"Fine, but next time I won't let things like this slide, Ms. Santos. I will find out what you're hiding." She walked away in defeat. I rolled my eyes I knew I could handle 'The Mad Trumble,' that made the earth quake under her feet, she wasn't exactly a major threat. I put my binder in my bag and turned around.

* * *

Chapter 3

The bell rang and students walked out of the room. I stepped inside and greeted the substitute that had to leave. He told me that the binder of sub notes are on the desk. I thanked him before he left for his meeting. I opened the binder, not much was in it except for the lesson plan. _I can handle one class. Oh crap, I forgot my tea._ I disappointedly pursed my lips together, I waited through the ten minute break emailing notifications about meetings with the staff on my laptop. I looked up when I saw students walking in as the bell began to ring. I closed my computer, stood up, and faced the board. I wrote the lesson plan down in whiteboard marker.

"Okay, class, I am going to be substituting today." I announced. I turned to face the students with a sweet smile. Although like Mrs. Trumble they all looked startled. I scanned the room and saw Evie sitting in the corner, she raised her eyebrows and made a sort of 'swimming fish' hand gesture. I shrugged and shook my head, "talk later," she mouthed.

"Open your books to chapter forty-six and write down the all the different possible reactions that can take place within those mixtures." I instructed. I wait for everyone to look into their books and I started to stroll slowly around the classroom trying to look unsuspicious until I went towards Evie.

"Evie, what's wrong with me?" I whispered, as I leaned next to her ear.

"Do you want the honest answer or the sugar coated kind?" She asked.

"Evie, I want the honest one, no matter how strange." I answered.

"Okay." Evie sighed. "Your irises are red and purple and you look about ten years younger." She quickly explained. "It's gotta be fishy somehow."

"Evie, why did you have to tell me so harshly?" I asked, as I tried to process it in my mind.

"You did ask for the truth." She quietly giggled.

"So what did happen anyway?" She asked.

"I don't know how it happened, but I did pass out on the floor earlier for no reason, and…" I said, I stopped and thought about the potion that spilt on me that morning.

"And?" Evie asked as I stood straight up.

"Oh no." I looked up with my eyes widened.

"What?" She looked at me, confused.

"Is there a mirror or something with a reflection?" I asked in a panic.

"Yeah, there's a metal tray there." Evie pointed at some shelves.

"Thank you, Evie." I ran to the metal tray and picked it up. I looked at my upside down reflection, my eyes were a red and purple sprouting from my pupil. I didn't see my usual wrinkles on my face and neck, I looked almost perfect. I looked younger, I gasped at myself and accidently dropped the tray. I picked it up and quickly put it back. I turned around only to be faced with nine students off task and staring at me.

"Principal Santos, are you okay?" The student in front of me asked.

"Yes, Thomas, I'm fine. Now everyone, get back to work." I tried to remain calm, I walked back to the desk and sat down in the chair. I tapped my fingers on my lap violently and I didn't know how to react. _Okay, okay, okay...stop. You know how to deal with things like this. Maybe._ I had a sudden thought out of the blue, I always brought my spell book and potion vials. I sat my bag on the table and looked inside. I pulled a vintage leather book out, I flipped through some pages to a chart of eye colors. There were eyes colored with red and yellow, cat-like eyes, and eyes with different color combinations that were unnatural to humans. Each eye drawing had descriptions of the potion or spell that was used. I looked at the section, 'Combinations of Purple.' I went through all of it and couldn't find a match to my situation. I was in disbelief and I kept flipping through it over and over. It took me a minute to realize that it wasn't in there at all. I closed the book and sat there in thought. _If the red and the purple on my eyes mix together maybe I could mix the two potion reversing cures and fix both effects. Although, I will lose my amazing fountain of 'ten-year' youth._ I opened the book back up, purple meant youth and red meant love. _Wait, love?_ I looked back at the red, and it definitely said love. I looked in the back for the spell reversing recipes. I looked around the room and saw most of the ingredients on shelves.

"Ms. Santos, if we are done, do we do the experiment stated in the book?" A student asked me while I was off guard.

"Uh-uh…" I looked in the substitute notes. "Yes, follow the steps on the next page." I replied. He pulled out some lab equipment off of shelves and I scanned the room instinctive, I saw two students whispering to each other and looking at me. I felt embarrassed, even though I was older than them, I still felt socially pressured as a student would. I stood up with the book in my hand and quickly walked around the room gathering unused ingredients.I placed them on the table and set the book down. I found a dusty jar underneath desk on a small shelf. I carefully washed it in a lab sink, not getting myself wet. I started to pinch a little of this and a little of that into it. I knew that if I made a base mixture, I could later on use very small amounts of magic. I mixed the powders together and added four teaspoons of water until I got a soupy white substance. I looked inside my bag and found my potion box. My potion box was the size of my hand. I never left home without it. My motto was, 'You don't always know what's going to happen, so it's better to be prepared.' I opened the box full of small vials, I picked out the one filled with blue haired coral, and I only let four drips fall into the jar as instructed in the recipe. I looked up to see all the students working on experiments, I looked back at the book and flipped the page to the love reversing recipe. I used only one drop of sea sponge oil and mixed it with a spoon. It started to fizz as I put my vials back into my bag. I turned back to the book, I read the last part. _Drink._

"Drink it?" I questioned quietly. I looked up at the students, they were all busy with other things, either chatting or doing work. I would usually scold the chatting groups but I had a bigger problem at stake. I looked back at the book and flipped through the pages, I looked at both potion recipes and they instructed to drink it. I was afraid because I had only combined potions once or twice so I had a little bit of experience with deciding what to do. I gagged at the smell of the mixture, it started to turn black so it would be wise to drink it before it got any worse. I looked around the room and saw a plastic cup in the back that was smaller than the jar. I took it and poured the black liquid into it. I built up my courage, held my breathe while putting my lips on the edge, and tilted my head back. I put the empty cup down on the table and disgustedly gagged. I felt the slimy concoction slide down my throat. I looked up at the class, all of the students were looking at me.

* * *

Chapter 4

Evie shook her head at me in a panic. I tried to hint to her that I was also scared. I didn't stop to think and I blurted out, "Why is no one working?"

All of the students got the message and went back to their assignment. I rushed over to Evie, since she was the only one in the room that could help me.

"What are they thinking now? I don't know exactly what I did and why I did that. I tried to get rid of it!" I quickly spit out.

"Woah, Rita, calm down." She whispered. I looked at her in distress. "What were you trying to do exactly?"

"I was trying to get rid of the potion. I think I spilt... well, it was an accident, an experimental potion or something that the girls were making, on my arm. They said they were using ingredients from the reef." I explained. "I've been under a spell before, but this one is worse. I couldn't find a recipe for it in my spellbook and I tried to mix two cures together."

"Rita! Why would you do that?" Evie exclaimed.  
"I have no idea why I want to rush things! I am doing things that I can't explain!" I threw my hands in the air. I looked around and I could hear gossip soar around the room.

"Rita, just don't try to do anything else today." Evie grabbed my attention, I sighed and nodded. Never in my lifetime, I thought I would be told what to do like a child. I turned around and walked back to the desk. Moments later, the bell rang and I dismissed the students in a hurry. As everyone was leaving, I cleaned up the mess I made, Evie looked at me and gave me a nod. I looked down, ashamed at my idiotic behavior. I should have waited and gone home to find my other books with a possible answer to it. I picked up my bag and left as soon as I could. I decided that I was going to bring my work home for the day. I was walking down the halls, looking at the students chatting at their lockers with friends, I suddenly stopped. I felt a sharp pain in my head, I closed my eyes and put my palm on my temple. I blinked a few times and looked straight ahead, my eyes started to ring out as if in a transition into a wind tunnel. I looked around me, I stared at two girls holding binders in their arms as they walked across the grass.

"Did you hear what happened to Ms. Santos?" The blonde girl asked.

"No, what happened?" Her shorter, brunette friend asked and turned to face her.

"Like, Brenda, she acted so strange. She started to make this black goop out of things she found in the science room." She explained. "It was so weird, like she was making homemade drugs or something."

There was no possible way that I was listening to their conversation, they were so far from me, I thought I was going crazy. I looked around at all the other people.

"Ow! I hurt my finger! Stupid locker." A boy yelled as nicked his finger in a locker door.

"My class is so frustrating, the kids never shut up and listen!" A teacher gossiped as she walked with another staff member.

"Then, I jumped into the water and saved the hot chick." A boy was bragging to a bunch of his friends. I heard everything being said as if it was a large roaring speakerphone in my ear. I ran out of the school gates as fast as I could away from all of the commotion. I walked to the car park and found my volvo. I unlocked it and got in, I threw my bag into the backseat and sat in the chair for a minute. I cleared my head and slammed the car door shut. I took a few deep breathes, _if I have this new ability, let's learn to control it while I can._ I opened the door slowly and listened to the different sounds. I could hear the swimming pool water splashing, students talking in the courtyard, and teachers lecturing in classrooms on the top floor through the window. I tuned into the lecture, I giggled at the weird feeling of focusing on these sounds as if I was a radio. The lecture was about how scientists use genetic coding. I happily closed the door in satisfaction of controlling this new ability, I started the car and drove home.

* * *

Chapter 5

After hours of working, taking breaks, and letting Poseidon jump back and forth from my lap; I looked at the clock hanging on the wall, I was going to give myself two hours to get ready.

"Rita," Mimmi said as she walked down the hall into the kitchen with Sirena.

"Hi, Mimmi, Sirena; what've you been doing?" I calmly asked, I closed my laptop.

"We were swimming on the reef and we decided to drop by the pod." Sirena said, she smiled.

"Then, we got distracted on the way back and played with some dolphins." Mimmi cheekily added.

"Also, we did some shopping with the money I got from singing!" Sirena held up the bags in her hands.

"Rita, your face!" Mimmi finally noticed. She dropped the bags she was holding onto the floor.

"It's been a long day, your potion thing in the Grotto spilt on me." I sighed, I stood up. "So what exactly did you use?"

"We weren't entirely sure about the coral." Mimmi responded.

"Or about the seaweed," Sirena added. "but hey you look great!" I frustratedly looked at her, she got the message and scooted back in embarrassment.

"We were going to test it on a prawn." Mimmi lowered her head.

"People are going to ask questions! I acted like a fool today and I felt like I had no control over my thoughts." I started to pace across the floor. "Well, it's not your fault. It's mine, I should have been more careful."

"Rita, we can try to do something about it." Sirena suggested.

"You're going to have to do it later, I have that date with Mitch." I said. "I'll see you two later tonight, bye, girls." I started to walk to the bedroom.

I went into the walk-in closet, I passed my professional clothes and house clothes to the back. I pushed two curtains back to reveal an antique vanity. There were dresses beside the mirror on racks, each one from my travels with Harry. I looked through them but one caught my eye; a red slim dress, with a v-neck sort of shape and thick black belt. I pulled it off of the hanger and placed it next to my young looking, potion-created body. I stood in front of the mirror with it, I liked how it complimented my brown-reddish hair; so I placed it on the back of the seat. I went into the bathroom and opened the drawer on the side filled with hundreds of different hair accessories. I picked up the most elegant hairpin that I could find, the one Harry gave me on the day he proposed. I pulled my hair to one side of my head and let the rest of it fall into my shoulder. I put the clip on the side of my head. The clip was a line of shells strung together with clear, sparkling crystals. I opened my almost-ancient makeup box and lightly brushed on some gold eyeshadow. I put on a light red color of lipstick and closed the box. I stood up from the chair and put on the dress. I found a pair of black heels under a few coats and a black handbag with shells sewn into the fabric. I slipped on the shoes and gracefully walked out of the bathroom, I hadn't ever worn these shoes in my life. I bought them while in mind that I would wear them on our honeymoon in Italy; apparently, I never did. I turned off the lights and walked out into the hall, Ondina rushed out of the Grotto and almost knocked me over.

"Rita!" Ondina exclaimed. "Woah, why are you so dressed up?" She examined my dress.

"I'm going on a date. Ondina, why are you in such a hurry? You better be careful next time." I said, startled at almost being toppled off of my heels.

"I was going to find Sirena and Mimmi. Some mermaid came up to me and asked where Sirena was. Her name was Lyla, I believe, and she said she heard about us saving Mako." Ondina gave it a second thought.

"Lyla," I let the name roll off of my tongue. "Lyla." I whispered to myself.

"Yeah, Lyla. Who else? She's the only one named Lyla in the pod." Ondina commented.

"She was with Sirena and Nixie when Zac first fell into the moonpool, this caused the pod to flee for the first time in centuries. They were the first mermaids to come onto land in years. I miss her a lot, she wanted to help Zac learn about the ocean and love it just as mermaids did." I breathed in the thought of the three girls coming to me on that first day.

"Okay, I have heard Lyla and Nixie be mentioned a few times but I never heard what they really did." Ondina pondered over it for a moment.

"I can tell you all about what they did but I have to go. I have to meet up with Mitch in a few minutes." I was about to leave until Ondina stopped.

"Rita, no offense but I think you overdid it with your makeup." Ondina said.

"Thank you. I did it accidentally with a potion." I replied sarcastically.

"Wait, what?" Ondina thought about it.

"I'll tell you later." I said as I walked down the steps to the front door.

I opened the front door and looked up.

"Mitch!" I jumped.

"Hi, Rita." Mitch kissed me on the cheek. He was holding some flowers and a bag.

"What are you holding?" I asked.

"They're for y-" Mitch held up the bag and smiled. He looked down at me again, his grin wiped off his face. "Rita, no offense, but did you do something with your face?"

"Why? Is something wrong?" I asked.

"I mean, it's just you and me. I think you're beautiful already." He said. _Awww._ I blushed. _Wait, he thinks I'm wearing makeup?!_ My shoulders dropped. "So! What's in the bag?" I tried to change subjects quickly. He handed me the gift, I reached inside and felt a cold shape, I pulled it out.

"Oh! It's a... mermaid." I nervously chuckled as I held the small, blue, glass mermaid sculpture in my hands.

"Is it okay? If you don't like it I can always get you something else." He asked.

"No! No, it's lovely. Thank you! I'll put it on the kitchen table." I rushed up the stairs and placed the bag and gift on the kitchen counter. _I'm going to have to tell him sooner or later._ I went back to Mitch and looked up at him.

"AHH-Oh my god!" I screamed. His face was perfectly carved, his defined marks were gone, his face was perfect. _Oh shit, he's hot._ I felt myself blush again. _I love him even more...WHAT AM I SAYING? How did that happen?!_

"What's wrong? Rita, is everything ok?" He asked me.

"Nothing! I just forgot something at the school, I'll get it on Monday." I lied through my teeth. _I must look so jumpy._ I looked behind me to see the coat rack, I grabbed my thin, long, black coat.

"Let's go!" I anxiously said. He reached out his arm and I curled my hand around his bicep. We walked down the hill to his parked car. We got in his car and drove to down the road as the sunset brushed against the world, giving everything an orange tint. I laid my head on the side of the window and felt the vibrations of the car engine. I felt the warm sun touch my face as if it kissed me goodbye.

"Mitch, thank you…" I gently smiled at him. "for everything."

"No problem, I'll do anything for you." He grinned back at me, he reached for my hand and held it for a moment.

"Are you sure you will do _anything?_ " I asked. I was going to tell him.

"Are you testing me on how much I love you?" He raised his eyebrow and chuckled.

"No, no. I just want to tell you something later, maybe tonight or tomorrow."

"What is it? You can tell me." He looked over at me again.

"I'll tell you, just be patient."

"It's amazing that I still don't know you that well even after a whole year."

"Yeah." I sighed. We sat in silence until I reached into my bag. "I almost forgot!" I pulled out a box. "I got you a tie for your suit. I thought it would go well with the shirt you usually wear." We stopped at a red street light and I opened the box.

"Thank you, it's nice! I think I'll wear it to that business meeting I have on Thursday, it'll look professional." He cheekily smiled as he glanced down at it. We started to move again when the light turned green. I smiled at him but inside I felt ashamed that he didn't know about me yet.

We drove for a few more minutes until we made it to the restaurant. Mitch came to my side of the car and opened the door. He extended his hand out to me, I grabbed it and stood up.

"Are you ready?" He asked as he closed the door behind my back.

"Yes." I turned around and smiled at him. He placed his hand on my shoulder and lead me up the steps to the building. He processed to open one of the double doors for me. I gave him a small thank you across my lips. We walked into a crowd of many impatient customers, bombarding the hostess at the counter with questions. Mitch and I exchanged concern, I nodded toward the front desk. He slide through the crowd as I glanced around at everyone, each tapping their fingers or toes. I was still surprised by how humans always were in a rush. I stood against the wall next to a dusty fake plant in the corner. I waited calmly for Mitch to return, he scooted along the edge of the wall and raised his eyebrow.

"The reservations were mixed up. They're having problems with their computer system, they said it's going to be an hour wait." He explained as he walked up to me.

"I don't think it's worth it." I glanced at the crowd once more.

"Me neither, I think we should go. We can go to my place and have dinner, is that okay?"

"Yeah, that would be nice." I smiled at him.

He put his arm over my shoulder and we strolled out of the restaurant.

* * *

SNIPPET SOMETHING (RANDOM SCENE IN DATE)

*Sitting on the couch, Rita leans in closer throughout the movie and later on lays on MItch's chest by the end of the movie*

*Mitch hears Rita sniffling*

"What's wrong?" *Mitch shifts his body a little to look at her*

"Nothing." *Rita notices that Mitch caught her already, she wipes the tears still trying to deny that she is crying*

"No, there's something wrong, you're crying." Mitch says.

* * *

SNIPPET SOMETHING

I walked around as students were eating lunch and chatting away. I decided that I was going to just enjoy the warm sun before getting the fish I packed in my office. I slowly strolled on the paths near the green towards my office. _Oh god._ I felt a sudden wave of nausea as a boy walked pass me. He smelt really bad as if he hadn't had a shower in two days. _Do they not know that they smell._ I stopped and pressed at my temples. My stomach felt as if it was in knots. The feeling moved to my chest. My mind clicked, _no no no no…_ I looked around for a bathroom and saw one down the pathways near the halls. It wasn't a staff bathroom but I had no other option. I started to rush to it but I felt a burning in my throat. I covered my mouth and ran to the bathroom. I hit the door with my free hand and leaped for a stall. My mouth burst out all the remaining contents of sea urchin insides from my stomach. I thrusted my head forward inside of the toilet as I kicked the stall door closed. After two minutes of vomit pouring out of my mouth, I caught my breath and fell back against the wall. I squinted my eyes at the smell of sea urchin vomit and the bathroom. I started to tear up from the disgusting conditions I put myself in. I sprawled my legs out on the nasty floor. I was exhausted and weak, I flushed down the nasty vomit while my head was spinning. I got up and opened the door as the bell started to ring. I stood up, straightened my shirt, and looked at the mirror to see my hair in a mess. It was easier to let my hair down instead of try to fix it. I pulled the clips out and held them in my hand. I walked out of the bathroom uneasy on my feet. I pushed at my chest at the burning sensation. I looked around again, I saw one teacher walking through the halls on the other side. She stared at me, I just assumed she didn't care. I slowly paced back to my office

* * *

PREGNANCY TEST SCENE

I sat in the chair on the balcony, leaning over the test in my fingers. I couldn't stare at it, I could only glimpse at it. I stared at the sunset, trying to distract my mind from the knowledge of having a child growing inside of me. Instead of tears, it was shock and fear taking it's place. Instead of denying this child, it was 'How am I going to tell Mitch or am I going to tell him at all?' It was 'What if I get exposed during all of this because I can't save myself in time?' and 'Am I going to attract too much attention to myself?' Mitch, my secret, my job, my child. Questions of the future of all this were overwhelming.

* * *

 **SNIPPET ABOUT 3 MONTHS**

"Sirena, I feel weird coming here." I said softly, almost to a whisper.

"Rita, I'm sure it's fine, just because you're a principal doesn't mean you're an alien." I watched as two people left the café. "David doesn't mind, neither does Carly. Besides, they both know already. Also, I know that nobody really comes around this hour." Sirena tried to assure me. We both sat down at a table. Carly came to us, she looked nervous.

"Hi, Principal Santos, hi, Sirena. Um… what can I get you?" Carly stuttered.  
"Carly, are you alright?" Sirena asked, looking up. "You're sweating pinballs."

"Carly, it's alright. I'm not as stern as I am at school, I don't want anyone to be afraid of me. If that's the case and Sirena has told you, you can just call me Rita." I tried to calm Carly down.

"Are you sure?" Carly asked, she seemed to feel much better.

"Carly, we only came here to have lunch together." I smiled.

"For now, we'll have the plate of prawns." Sirena said to Carly.

"Also, can I get a full lobster?" I added.

"Alright." Carly walked back to the cool room, I could see her start to giggle.

Sirena looked back at me, "Rita, I want to discuss something." She started. I looked at her, waiting for her to continue. "You've been acting strange lately, more than usual."

"What do you mean?" I asked, I placed my folded hands onto the table.

"You've been sick, not the kind Evie and us got." Sirena explained, her face showing her concern. "Rita, this has been going on for weeks. This is different, than being sick, isn't it?"

"Sirena, I- I-" I was cutoff by Carly placing a large plate of prawns and lobster on the table. I stopped and looked at the food, I decided to not say anything to Sirena.

"Thank you, Carly." I said, I took the biggest prawn I could find on the plate and bit into the shell. I looked at Sirena, she was disappointed at me for avoiding her question.

"You're welcome." Carly backed away as I chewed into the large prawn.

"Sirena, I'm fine, don't worry, nothing's wrong." I picked a piece of the lobster tail and waved it around as I reassured her.

"Rita, this isn't like you. Also, you never talk with food in your hands or mouth and you never eat the shell in public. Only Nixie and Lyla did that, and they didn't live on land." She picked up a prawn and pulled the soft meat out of the shell. I pressed at my chest, I felt my unusual indigestion.

"I don't?" I confusedly asked her. I picked up another part of the lobster and bit straight into the shell. I felt a strong craving for the lobster, I kept pulling off the seafood on the plate.

"Rita?... Rita!" Sirena tried to grab my attention. She pushed my hand down onto the table. I dropped the prawn I was going to eat back onto the plate.

"Hey!" I looked up at her.

"You've never eaten this fast and you don't like lobster!" I could tell she was getting frustrated. She made me uncomfortable. "Stop acting strange."

"Sirena, we already are the definition of _strange_!" My voice raised as I started to stand up. I looked across the room at David and Carly, they looked disturbed at our heated argument.

"Oh-kaaay…." David mumbled under his breathe, he walked into the cool room and I sat back down.

"Rita, we came here not just for lunch, but to talk as well, I'm just concerned." Sirena started to calm down. I was embarrassed by how she was pointing out everything I was doing differently. I picked up the seafood I dropped on the plate and shoved it into my mouth.

"Stop trying to avoid this with food." She calmly told me.

"Sirena, I told you I'm fine. I'm just hungry." I looked down.

"No. You can't make up a lame excuse for avoid my conversation. Food, really Rita?" She picked up a prawn and slapped it back onto the plate to prove a point. "Tell me you can come up with something better than that." I didn't realize that Evie just walked into the room. I stood up.

"Sirena! Do you want to know? Do you _really_ want to know?! Fine! I'm eating almost four lobsters a day because I'M PREGNANT!" I infuriatingly yelled as I threw my hands up in the air. Evie, David, Carly, and Sirena all stared at me. I finally notice Evie standing there, everyone was in shock. I felt small tears fall onto my cheeks. Sirena studied my face and then my stomach, I couldn't blame her, anyone else would do the same, I just admitted that I was carrying an unborn child.

"Rita, what do you mean? That's impossible." Evie asked, she continued to come closer.

"I don't know!" I cried, I had no clue of what to do, I just wanted to hide.

"Rita, maybe we should talk about this at the house." Sirena suggested. I nodded, I sniffled. Carly grabbed a tissue and handed it to me. We all stood there in silence, I've never really been in the center of attention before, I was so used to being in an outer image.

"Actually, that's great! Congratulations, Ms. Santos." Carly broke the awkward silence of the room. I smiled at her, she made me feel better about the situation.

"Rita, that's great! Don't be ashamed of it." Evie came and hugged me. She looked at me and smiled, I couldn't help but smile back.

"Thank you, David. Sorry about the trouble." Sirena went to give him a hug. I turned around and looked at David.

"David, can I get three more lobsters? If you have any left." I asked with a slight smile.

"Sure, Ms. Santos." He replied, he rushed to the cool room and brought out a styrofoam crate. I took the crate from his hands.

"Thank you." I sweetly smiled. I now had support that I longed for, I didn't have to go through it alone. Sirena and I exchanged a simple goodbye with everyone. She lead me out the door. We walked down the dock to my house.

* * *

SNIPPET AFTER CAFE SCENE

"So how far are you into… well, you know." Sirena tried to ask. We opened the door to the condo and walked up the steps.

"I'm confident enough to say that I'm not sure but I think I had…" I started. "Mitch is the father. I told him and he hasn't said anything concerning," I said. I looked at Sirena, "yet." We both sat down in the kitchen. Sirena sat down in the chairs and I went behind the kitchen island. I picked up a cup and poured some water into it.

"Do you want some?" I asked her.

"No, I'm okay." Sirena replied. She folded her hands. "So when I was learning about humans, pregnancy is like," She looked up trying to find her words. "like growing a baby in a land girl's womb, instead of an egg."

"Correct." I took a sip of my water.

"But you're not a land girl." She stated.

"Yes, but I guess

* * *

WEDDING SCENE

Commitment to a person is a very delicate and fragile thing. If there is an unbalance to the commitment, it snaps. Although it may seem like we rushed into this, I know we were already prepared. Mitch loves me and I love him. Now that he knows about his child, we both can get ready for its arrival together.

In this moment, there is no one helping me fit into my white dress. I'm alone in the room, only a mirror to accompany me. I examined my hair, pulled up into a diamond clip and decorated with pearls. I repeatedly yank the dress over my breast, I sigh over the fact I only bought the dress a week earlier. The strapless dress was large and heavy at the bottom, a giant layer of tulle and fabric. Still, it was beautiful with white faux butterflies scattered around in each ruffle. There was still one detail I hadn't glossed over yet, I was three months pregnant. There was an odd bump under the dress but I wasn't going to let that make me uncomfortable. Besides no one is going to care except me. I walked out of the room into a garden. Flowers surrounded me and to shelter me was a canopy created by trees. At the end of the garden was a small dome structure covered in vines sprouting every way. I walked onto the weathered stone pathway. Mitch, dressed in a handsome tuxedo and the minister were standing patiently in the dome. When I reached them, the minister nodded.

"Is it weird that I didn't wear a veil?" I asked Mitch as we stared at each other.

"No, it's fine. Are you ready?" Mitch responded.

"I was always ready." I smiled. Holding hand in hand, we turned to the minister.

After he finished, we looked deep into each other's eyes. This was the moment we become infinitely united.

"I, Mitch Arden Ross, take you, Rita Santos, to be my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part." Mitch vowed.

"I, Rita Santos, take you, Mitch Arden Ross, to be my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part." I vowed.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may kiss the bride." The minister announced. Mitch brought his hands behind my back and to my head, he pulled me towards him. We shared our first kiss as husband and wife.

"I'll give you two a moment to settle." The minister said as he left the garden.

Mitch and I sat stared once more at each other but closer than before. I rested my head against his chest. We locked hands near my waist.

"You know, I never told you." I softly said.

"What did you not tell me?" Mitch asked.

"I'm also a siren." I chuckled.

"Which means?"

"I guess we can have our first dance here."

Mitch let out a small laugh. "You're going to sing, right now?"

I started to sing a very slow song as I looked back up at him. We swayed back and forth across the floor. He raised an eyebrow, I assumed he wasn't sure of my voice but in a few moments he grinned. After several minutes of dancing, we walked out of the dome into the garden.

"Mitch, I want to show you my world one day. Well, my world before." I said.

"What do you mean?"

"The ocean but in a different way."

* * *

SNIPPET AFTER MARRIAGE

"Zac, get out of my kitchen." I said, I put my hand on the counter and the clack of my wedding ring slap onto the marble.

"Rita, did I do something wrong?" He asked as he bit into a juicy large prawn. I watched as drips of sauce rolled down his lip. Sirena watched as I eyed the food in his hand.

"Out, Zac. Go finish your food somewhere else." I pointed down the hall.

"Uh, Rita, are you okay? What was that about?" Sirena raised an eyebrow. I pressed my fingers against my forehead.

"Alright… I'll just be off then…" Zac crept away, picking up his plate of food.

"Rita, if you wanted some, you could have asked and I would've gotten you it." Sirena suggested. She got off of the couch and headed for the fridge. I whipped around and glanced at her.

"I'm fine, I don't need any." I snapped, I could smell the seafood drifting in the air. I wanted to taste it but if I ate it, I knew I would puke afterwards. I decided it would be easier just to eat anything beside it for the rest of the day.

"Um, it was for me." Sirena jumped. She took out a serving of the prawns and placed them on a plate. I stared at the white dish of shellfish, I frustratedly let out a breath.

"Actually, I'm going on the balcony to finish some work."

* * *

RANDOM BONDING SCENE

I was laying sideways on the couch, reading my book until I felt a punch to the stomach. I was caught off guard and I jumped. I realized that the baby was kicking again. I flip onto my back and put my book down on the coffee table. I stared at my belly.

"Mitch. Mitch! Come here!" I called out to him. I turn my head and watch him rush down the hall. He knelt down at my side and held my hand.

"What's wrong? Rita, is the baby okay? Are you okay?" He asked worriedly.

"Calm down, look." I place his hand on my stomach. I smile at him and watch his eyes light up and smile.

"It's really kicking." He said at the sudden jerks.

"Yeah, it's pretty strong." I flinched at the movements.

"I can't wait until next week." He pressed his ear on my belly. "Hello in there, Daddy's waiting to know if you are my little girl or boy." He kissed me on the forehead and started to run his fingers through my hair. I closed my eyes and rested my hands on my stomach. I wondered if it's was going to be a boy or a girl but it was more important to wonder if it would be full mermaid, full human, or hybrid. It scared me of the things I was not prepared for, I cleared my mind. I pondered the moment between mother and child, knowing that I have know this baby before I _knew_ it.

"What do you think you'll do if the baby is a mermaid or merman?" Mitch asked seriously. I opened my eyes and turned my head towards him.

"I don't know, we'll just have to see, won't we?" I sighed. I stopped and realized the importance of remembering and not being careless. "Wait, Mitch we can't go to that ultrasound."

"Why?" He asked.

"What if it's got a tail and we can't explain that to the nurse." I explained. "They might do tests or worse, maybe even take out the baby prematurely." Shivers went down my spine as I said it. I tried to grab onto the side of the couch and stand up. I gave it a few tries until I laid back down and groaned.

"Here." Mitch reached out his hand. I grabbed his hand and pulled myself up.

"Thanks." I picked up my book on the coffee table. I folded the corner of the page and closed it. Mitch observed the front cover and raised his eyebrow.

" ' _You and Your Baby in 9 Months_ '." He read off of the cover. "You know this isn't your normal, everyday, human pregnancy, right?" He asked concernedly.

"I know, but if there are similarities, at least I'll know something about it." I replied, confidently. He studied my eyes for a moment, then his face gave approval.

"Okay then, I guess you can't be too prepared." He placed his hand on my shoulder and lead me to the hall.

"Mitch, why don't we take a walk on the beach later?" I asked. I opened the door to my bedroom, we walked inside and I placed my book on the bedside table.

"Are you sure? You don't really like to go out, unless you're working or swimming." He raised his eyebrow at my new decision.

"Look, it's been maybe years since I've used these _things_ for a greater purpose than walking to the school." I joked as I shook my legs. "I feel like having some prawns, then we'll go, okay?"

"Sure."

* * *

 **SNIPPET AFTER BONDING SCENE**

Mitch and I walked down the hill to the beach. I looked around, I saw a few of my students. They looked just as embarrassed as I was, I felt awkward. I regretted my decision to walk outside, where everyone could see me and Mitch together. I tried to ignore their staring. I focused on how beautiful the sunset was. I looked at Mitch, his hand held mine, and my feet touching the warm, dry sand. I looked down at my belly, I noticed that it was much bigger than I thought it was. I felt a little self-conscious of the way it looked. I once again tried to take my mind off of it.

"Mitch," I started. I felt the warm breeze run through my hair.

"Yes?" He studied my eyes.

* * *

LAST SWIM SCENE

I sat down at the sea entrance, feeling down, knowing that it might be my last time swimming. I slide my legs into the water and sat on the ledge. I felt my legs transform into my tail, I looked down at it happy to see it one last time. I knew that today was the last exception for a casual swim, after that I would probably see my tail again by accident. I looked out at the tidal rings dancing on the water. I went down under the surface and opened my eyes. I swam out into the open ocean and slowly paddled my way along the coast. I made my way to the large reefs near the caves, a quarter of a mile from my house. I slowly swam around the coral. I smiled at the sight of each little fish seeming to play in the anemones. I softly laid down on a soft coral sponge and and placed my hands on my belly. I stared at the surface and the fish. I imagined my little girl swimming with me through the kelp forests together. I was about to get up and swim back home until I saw a small, young mermaid swim around the corner. She looked startled as I was. She swam away towards Mako where the pod was, I knew that this wasn't good so I hid myself and followed her at my own pace. I found her talking to Veridia, which _was_ the head of the Mermaid Council. I swam behind a rock and stayed hidden.

"There was a mermaid near the coral covered rock forms closer to land, where the houses are." She explained to Veridia.

"Ava, that's fine as long as she stayed hidden." Veridia said.

"But... but her stomach was huge like perfectly round. It didn't look normal. It was weird, I just wanted to tell you because she was thin and her stomach wasn't, it just didn't add up." Ava tried to tell her. "You said if anyone saw something unordinary, we should come and tell you." She looked down.

"Okay, if you are that concerned, I will keep an eye out for this suspicious character." Veridia swam back down. I thought that Veridia went the other way, so I came out from behind the rock and came out of my invisible state. I looked behind me for a second and saw Veridia. She was swimming my way so I hid myself again and slowly swam home. I hoped she didn't see my face but I was sure she saw my stomach.

* * *

AFTER SWIM SCENE

I found Mitch in the kitchen, I was crying.

"Honey, what's wrong?" He dropped the papers he was holding on the counter. He came up to me and hugged me. He kissed me on the head.

"Someone saw me," I tried to explain through tears drowning my throat.

"As a mermaid?" He asked.

"No, not a human, I was swimming. A little girl, not a girl but small mermaid. Ava, I think, told Veridia that I was pregnant." I said. I looked up at him, I tried to wipe the tears rolling on my cheeks."Well, she only described my belly. She probably didn't know what it was, obviously."

"Does Veridia know it's you?" Mitch asked.

"I don't think so." I said, unsurely.

"That's good, at least."

"It's just against the nature of all mermaids. I'm probably the first mermaid ever to _be_ pregnant. Mermaids have eggs and I've been six months with a baby _in_ me." I looked down at my baby bump. "There's a huge difference in that Mitch. It's like a bird giving birth in a nest, it's against nature by... a lot." I sniffled.

"Maybe the pod might accept that, maybe not today but later, you maybe have about three months." Mitch tried to assure me.

* * *

PLAN FOR HARRY'S REVEAL (SECRET NOT ACTUAL HARRY) SCENE

"I mean, I was already was casted out when..." I realized that I had never told him.

"Why were you casted out?" Mitch confusedly asked.

"Mitch, I need to tell you something." I let go of him.

"I met a man before," I started. "I used to sneak onto land to meet him, and when the pod learned about him," I continued. "I was casted out and... and..."

"What happened?" Mitch started to get eager.

"Harry and I got engaged," I started to to tear up again. "but he died before the wedding. After that, I promised myself that I would never love anyone again." I sat down on the couch. I placed my head in my hands.

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" Mitch asked, he looked upset.

"I met you and I fell in love with you. I thought telling you would push you away." I tried to explain.

"I would never leave you, I certainly didn't when I learned you had a tail." He came up to me and brushed the hair out of my eyes. "I loved you from the moment I saw your face." He told me, I smiled and kissed him.

* * *

POST-FIRST CONTRACTION SCENE (REWRITE AFTER BIRTH SCENE)

"Good morning, Honey." I heard Mitch's soft voice flood into my ears. I smile as the warm sunlight touches my cheeks. I breathed deeply as I stretched to get up, putting my hand on his face as I opened my eyes. I gazed at his face as he grinned sweetly.

"Good morning." I said in response.

"Should we get up or stay in bed for another hour?" Mitch laughed. We stared into each other's eyes.

"I think it's a lovely day, we should at least sit on the balcony." I said. Mitch started to get out of the bed. He walked around to my side and reached out his hand. I looked up at him with a grin. I grabbed onto his hand and sat up, I suddenly felt a pain in the side of my stomach. I stopped for a moment and squinted my eyes.

"Rita, are you okay?" Mitch concernedly asked.

"Yeah, yeah." I looked up at him. "Probably just another boxing match with my insides." I joked. I placed my feet firmly onto the ground and pushed myself up from the bed. My light purple, long, silk dress fell down from my knees as I stood up. I adjusted the straps on my shoulders and turned around to face the messy sheets on the bed.

"Mitch, can you go downstairs and make a plate of prawns and, hm…" I looked up at the ceiling deciding on what to have. "what about, two crabs?"

"Sure, I'll go make it." Mitch started to leave the room.

"Also, David just dropped off another box of seafood, it should be in the fridge." I called out.

"Okay, Hon." He replied as he turned down the hall.

I looked down at the bed, I fixed up the sheets and pulled them over the pillows. I finished and turned around, the see-through window curtains were gracefully flapping in the warm breeze. I watched as they danced from side to side, I walked up to them and opened the window. I looked outside and saw the beach down below with people scattered across the sand. I watched as some of them jumped into the rolling waves, my eyes started to search out at the sea. I saw some heads surface in the deep waters. I gently smiled as the young mermaids played a game, leaping from the water and splashing each other frantically. I sat there in silence until I felt another kick to my stomach. I looked down at my belly _, I am tired of this, get it out of me._ I closed the windows and the curtains fell, even though the light still flooded into the room. I put on my robe hanging from the wall by a hook. I shuffled my feet to the kitchen with all the weight hanging from my torso. I sat down at the kitchen island as Mitch was making his breakfast. I found a glass sitting on the counter and I poured some water into it. I took a sip of it and set the glass down, I stared straight ahead frustratedly blowing steam from my nose.

"Mitch," I started.

"Yes?" he looked back and placed a large plate of seafood in front of me.

"I'm so done with this all." I sighed.

He chuckled and turned off the stove. "Pregnancy will do that to you." He poured his scrambled eggs onto a small plate. He picked up his mug of coffee and sat in front of me.

"Hey! You're not the one who's pregnant, you don't know what it's like." I said.

"Trust me, my older sister would not stop going on about it when she had my nephew." Mitch looked up from me, he shoved a fork of eggs into his mouth.

"Is your sister a mermaid?" I raised my eyebrow, I picked up a crab leg.

"No, but..." Mitch looked up. "Okay, you have a point."

"I thought so." I smiled in a small victory, I sat back a little as we looked at each other and took bites of our different meals. _Eggs and crabs._

"Do you want to go onto the balcony?" Mitch asked after he took a sip of his coffee.

"Yeah, just let me go and-" I stopped.

"Are you okay?" He asked as my eyes shifted into a panic.

"Oh god. Oww." I bent over in my chair with my mouth agap. I held my stomach through the violent jerks.

"Rita, what's going on?" MItch asked concernedly.

"It's- it's more than I'm used to." I sat back up and slightly shook my head. "I'm alright, it'll be over soon, I just need a minute."

"Are you sure? You don't

* * *

BIRTH SCENE (STARTED REWRITE ABOVE, THIS WAS VERY "OUT THEREEEE" :S)

I was looking out at the horizon as the sun was setting, sitting down at the table on the balcony. I thought it was so beautiful, I sat my hand on my large stomach. I looked at the girls sitting on the bench, talking about the funny things that they had done with the pod. I looked down at Poseidon, who was jumping onto my table. I felt a sudden pain in my belly. I thought it was another round of kicking, until I felt a harder one that made me cringe. I felt a large one that made me double over in my chair. I climbed out of the chair with the strength that I had. I felt to my knees and I curled up on the floor and held my stomach.

"OWWWW!" I screamed. I tightly closed my eyes and curled up even tighter. I opened my eyes and saw the girls jumping up and coming towards me.

"Rita, are you ok?" Ondina asked, I could hear the panic in her voice.

"I don't know." I responded.

"Ondina, I think she's having the baby." I heard Sirena. I felt their hands try to pull me up from the ground.

"OH MY GOD!" I cried. I kept opening my eyes and seeing a different area of the condo. I kept shuffling my feet. I couldn't make out where I was going, my mind was only focused on the pain. The girls lead me to the front of the bookcase.

"Girls, why are we going to the Grotto? Why not the bedroom?" I looked up at them.

"Crap. How could I be so stupid?" Sirena blew steam out of her nose in frustration.

"But… the supplies are in the Grotto." Ondina said.

"Then, Ondina, go get them." Mimmi sternly ordered.

"Seriously!" Ondina ran down into the Grotto.

"Rita, hold on." I heard Mimmi say.

"Mimmi, I thought contractions came before going straight into labor." I said.

"Rita, I don't know. Well, it _is_ completely new to nature." Mimmi tried to give me an explanation.

"Well, now that I think of it, I was hurting this morning." I managed to spit out.

"I'll get Mitch." I heard Ondina run up the stairs.

"Sirena, there's, uh..." I tried to make out what I wanted in my head. "Fuuuuck! Oh my god." I cringed. Mimmi got me onto the bed in the room. I looked up at Sirena, she was blurry in my teary-eyed vision.

"Rita what is it?" Sirena asked.

"There's a bottle of sea slime and grounded coral. It's greenish purple, it's in a small clear glass." I said. I cringed again. I felt the worse pain I had ever had in my life.

"Where?" Sirena asked.

"On the shelves, in the Grotto, to your left." I said. Sirena ran out of the room.

"Oh, this feels really awkward." Mimmi said as she pushed my dress out of the way, spread my legs, and pushed them up. She looked between them.

"Hey, at least the heads coming out!" She said. Sirena ran back in and Ondina behind her, holding a large amount of towels.

"Here, Rita. I found it!" Sirena held up the small bottle.

"Good, now pour it halfway into that glass." I pointed at a small cup that looked like a shot glass on the desk. "Harry gave me that once."

"Rita!" I watched Mitch run into the room.

"Luckily, I called Mitch and he was only two minutes away." Ondina proudly said.

Sirena handed me the small glass. I tried to sit up and dumped the mixture into my throat as fast as I could.

"You just drank that nasty liquid!" Sirena looked at me disgustedly. "What was that?"

"Pain killer." I said. I dropped the glass on the bed at the feeling of relief. "It's like an epidural, just not directly into your back." I felt so much better. "I can use it during any stage, later than the human injection version."

"Would that hurt the baby at all?" Sirena asked.

"No, I made it. I know it wouldn't hurt anything." I replied. Mitch rushed to my side.

"Are you ok?" Mitch asked. I looked at him like he was stupid.

"Am I ok? Am I ok?! AM I OK?! YOU FUCKING DID THIS TO ME! I HATE YOU!" I freaked out at him. "OH MY FUCKING GOD!" I felt the pain again even after I just had an effective amount of pain reducing formula, it even hurt more than before.

"Shit! I thought the sea slime and coral would work! AAUUGGHHH!" I scraped the bed sheets with my nails making marks in the fabric. I couldn't care less at the sheets, I could replace them. I just wanted it to be all over.

"Mitch, I don't think she means that." Mimmi assured him. She kept looking at the baby's head. "You have to remember that she _is_ in a lot of pain."

"I... AM... FUCKING... DYING!" I screamed in between breathes. "MITCH!"

"Yes, Rita?" He asked. "Just keep breathing, ok?" I grabbed his arm, I squeezed it as hard as I could. His eyes bulged out of his skull as I forced my fingers into his skin. I felt a flood of tears run out of my tightly shut eyes. My forehead was dripping with sweat.

"WHY DOES IT HURT SO MUCH?!" I cried. My neck strained upwards to the ceiling as I whimpered. I slowly let go of his arm and reached out towards a chair near the desk. I pulled it next to the bed. I put my hand in it and I pushed down. The back of the chair cracked as I cried in pain, I frustratedly pushed it away. I sat myself up and pressed my elbows into the mattress.

"Rita, breathe, keep pushing!" Ondina came to Mimmi's side. Mitch went to help Mimmi out.

"I AM!" I screamed. I repeatedly kept saying that I was going to die. Sirena was placing the towels around me and partially under my legs to be helpful.

"Last time I probably saw that was nine months ago." Mitch laughed. The girls looked at him and I pointed my middle finger at him. I was in so much pain and he had to make a stupid joke.

"Oh, sorry." He said, embarrassed. He came and let me grab his strong hand, I squeezed his palm.

"Your wife is in pain, Mitch. Really?" Sirena said. She shook her head in disbelief.

I screamed, I must have lost my mind in that moment, my eyes scanned the room. I saw Poseidon scurry around and rudely leave. Ondina ran behind him, I didn't care about them in that moment and squeezed Mitch's hand harder.

"Rita, a few more pushes!" Mimmi said, encouragingly.

"Mitch, your arm is hairy." I paused. I looked at him, my eyes were stinging, I felt the messy curls in my hair falling onto my shoulders.

"Yes, Dear." Mitch stared at me and patted my hand.

"I hate you."

"Yes, Dear." He let me squeeze his hand harder.

"I'm going to die." I scraped my teeth against each other.

"No, you're not going to die." He tried to reassure me.

"I'm going crazy." I chuckled as my eyes watered.

"Yes, you've sort of lost it." He looked down at my red, sore hand.

"Don't tell me that! I'm in FUCKING LABOR, you son of a BITCH!" I screamed.

"Yes, we all know that."

Sirena stared at our odd moment.

"Rita, don't stop! You're doing great!" Mimmi encouraged me.

I pushed as hard as I could. I kept screaming in small bursts. My eyes were tearing up at the pain.

"You can do it, Honey!" Mitch told me. "Come on!"

Ondina ran back into the room. "I found some towel racks."

"Ondina, why did you get those?" Sirena asked.

"I thought that maybe Rita can push off of them and maybe help out Mitch a little bit." Ondina replied. The girls looked back at her. "Hey! At least I'm doing something useful."

"Oh, god! Thank you!" I yelled. Ondina put the two racks near my arms. I let go of Mitch's arm and placed my hands on the bars. I pushed against them and Mitch kept encouraging me to breathe and push.

"One more push!" Sirena said. In response, I pushed as hard as I could.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" I felt a wave of relief through my body and mind. I fell back to catch my breathe. _I just had a child. A beautiful girl._ I heard the reassuring wails of a newborn and I continued to feel tears fall from my eyes, I was too overjoyed to speak.

"You just had a baby girl," Mimmi smiled as she held my child in her arms with a towel. "And maybe just with an orange addition."

"What?" I sat up and saw my baby with a bright orange tail.

"Mitch," I paused. "Coralia's a mermaid."

"I know but at least she's as beautiful as her mother." Mitch watched as Mimmi cut the umbilical cord, he kissed me and we both smiled at each other. I was still in so much pain but I was too overjoyed to focus on it. I was glad that I could still function after that. Mitch went over to Mimmi and held Coralia. He was about to come over to let me hold her but I shifted towards Ondina as she confusedly look between my legs. _What is she doing?_

"Um, is there suppose to be another huge grubby thing come out after the baby?" Ondina asked.

"Maybe, why?" I confusedly replied.

"AHHHHHHHH!" I felt the same horrible pain as before as my back rose off the bed. I screamed, it hurt more than I wanted it to. I fell back and screamed to the top of my lungs.

"There's another?!" Mimmi freaked. "Ondina, you might have to pull the baby out! I'm taking care of Coralia!"

"What?... What... other?!" I panted.

"What?! Why do I have to do it?!" Ondina looked at them with disappointment. I felt my body crumbling. I couldn't take the pain anymore, I felt like giving up.

"ONDINA! I DON'T CARE IF YOU THINK ITS NASTY! TAKE _WHATEVER_ IT IS OUT OF ME NOW!" I yelled at her. I laid back on the table. Mitch's eyes widened at the sight of this unexpected child, he handed Coralia back to Mimmi. Mimmi carefully handed Coralia to Serina.

"Rita, push! I know you don't want to, but you have to! Come on, just one more!" Mimmi kept telling me. Mitch came to my side again and held my hand.

"Rita, you can do it! Come on, Honey!" Mitch excitedly exclaimed.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!...Holy shit!" I cried. Mimmi pulled another baby out of me. _She just pulled out another child, out of me. I just had another child. I have twins._ I didn't know that I had two babies inside of my body. I was so shocked by how crazy it sounded that I had no knowledge of my other child.

"Ondina, I didn't have a towel." Mimmi held a boy with a blue tail in her arms, obviously with no towel, her arms and shirt were covered in goop. Mitch ran to the baby and held him, with the umbilical cord still attached.

"Thank you, Mitch." Mimmi said quickly. I laid back down and caught my breathe.

"Mitch, here's some scissors to cut the rope thing." I heard Ondina say, followed by a snip, then a loud thud on the floor. I dropped my legs back down and sat up at the sounds of his little relieving cry. I saw Mimmi on the floor drying her tail and Sirena holding Coralia, wiping the goop off of her with a soft towel.

"They're so beautiful." I started to tear up again.

Ondina picked up some large pillows and placed them behind my back. Mimmi stood back up and went to Sirena to wrap Coralia in a blanket. Mitch picked up a blanket as well and wrapped my baby boy in it. Ondina and Sirena were smiling and they hugged each other. Mitch and Mimmi came up to me and placed my babies in my arms. I smiled and kissed each of them on the forehead, I finally knew what it meant to be a mother.

"Awww…" Ondina smiled and teared up.

"Ondina, I didn't know you have a soft spot." Sirena joked and nudged her.

"They're adorable." Mimmi grinned from ear to ear. Mitch sat by me and looked at their button noses. I looked up at him and a look of concern washed over my face.

"Mitch, what are we gonna name this little one?" I asked as I turned my head towards my boy.

"I don't have a clue, I just was expecting a little girl after you told me." He answered.

"Can we name him after my father?" I asked.

"Sure." He agreed.

"His name was Caspian though." I looked up at Mitch.

"Oh, uh… Caspian. Hm, actually, what about Max? Short for Maximus." Mitch suggested.

"Caspius?" I giggled. "I'm just joking."

"Maximus Caspian Ross." He confidently said.

"Ok, you get to name him since I named Coralia." I agreed upon his name.

"Coralia Thalassas and Maximus Caspian Ross." Mitch formally officialized.

"Max and Cora." I pronounced, I smiled at each of the girls. Suddenly, I heard the front door open and close.

"Who's that?" I asked as I looked at the babies and heard footsteps scramble across the floor.

Unexpectedly, Evie and Zac rushed into the room.

"Is Rita ok now?" Zac asked, trying to catch his breathe.

"Yeah, it was really stressful." Mimmi replied.

"Awww... they're tiny and cute." Zac uttered. I smiled at him and lightly rocked Max and Cora in my arms.

"Oh, yeah. I forgot after you screamed at me, that I called Zac and Evie when I went to go get the towel racks." Ondina said, she rocked back and forth on her heels. I looked at Evie, she was sweating down her forehead.

"We were on the beach, so we ran here." Evie explained. "Oh my god! They are so precious!" She added. After minutes of minutes of smiling and tearing up; we all settled down and talked about the crazy event, I joined in on the conversation to add in a few details. I sat there in the bed still sore but I felt so overjoyed to have two, little, healthy babies peacefully sleeping in my arms.

* * *

CAR CRASH SCENE (YEAR AFTER CHILDREN/ BOOK 2)

I smiled at Lyla for a moment, time seemed to slow down, the world exploded in front of my eyes. The blinding light flooded the car, the impact sent my head flying towards the dashboard. Lyla and Sirena screamed in sheer terror and pain. My neck whipped straight into the steering wheel, I banged my skull against it. My eyes filled with tears as I heard Lyla's bones crack underneath the side door crushing her body. The shards from the windows jetted into the seats, slicing through my skin, shedding blood across my face and arms. Time was still, the shattered glass was still, the blood was still. I couldn't reflect on the moment, it happened so slowly yet so fast.

The constant fighting to pull back to reality or stay in the moment. I opened my eyes, I was in pain, my head was pounding. Lyla was pinned underneath the crunched door, the glass was scattered across the seats. I sat my head back, I managed to twist it just enough to see Nixie whimpering and Sirena trembling. Sirena grabbed her purse and pulled out her mobile phone. With shaky hands she tried to dial a number as she smeared blood all over her phone screen. She unlocked the car door and climbed out.

"Nixie, are you ok?" She asked. I could only hear Nixie slowly move towards her side of the car and get out. Moments later I hear Sirena crying out, "Zac! Zac! We got into a car crash. Nixie and I are scared, we don't know what to do!"

"Sirena, let me talk." Nixie said.

"Here." Sirena muttered.

"Zac, get anyone you can to come help, Rita and Lyla are badly hurt…what?...we're on Seymour Road or around it….that's what it says on the sign….ok...ok. Bye."

* * *

COMA DREAM AFTER CRASH

I woke up in my bed to the doorbell ringing, I sat up blinking my eyes. Stepping my feet on the ground, putting on my gray robe, and rushing down the hall angered me.

"Coming!" I frustratedly called out as I descended down the steps. I straightened out my nightgown but before opening the door lock, I thought to myself. _Why would anyone want to come to the principal's house._ I opened the door and gasped. My eyes welled with tears as I stared at him.

"Oh my god." I covered my mouth in shock. I finally felt the desperate tears that held to my eyes fall onto my cheeks. "Harry." I managed to spit out, my head spun around. _He was dead. I watched him die in my arms._

"Rita." He said with a lump of guilt in his throat. "I'm so sorry."

"No! You died! I watched you die! I sat and held your hand. You died in that war!" I panicked.

I sat at the edge of the bed. Hundreds of soldiers calling out for needs as nurses ran around helping patients. I looked down at my dirty, blood stained nurse uniform. I had been sitting in the chair for hours attending to Harry as he slowly bled out from his gunshot wound. I tilted my head to look down at the red bandage around his torso.

"Harry, I won't leave you. I'll be here all night if I have to." I held my hand within his. I placed my lips against his knuckles. I shut my eyes as my lips quivered.

"Rita, I won't leave you." He started to cough. I handed him a glass of water with my free hand. "Look, when we walk down that aisle, we'll have that white wedding you've always wanted, on the beach too just how you imagined it." He smiled. I tilted my head at the ceiling as I sniffle and chuckled in a small relief.

"Rita," He said weakly.

"Hm?"

"you should get some rest." He told me.

"No, I said I wasn't going to leave. I'll stay by you no matter what." I looked sternly at him.

He nodded as my eyes allowed tears to escape. As I held his hand, I softly laid my head on his chest. Ten minutes later, I started to drift until he began to cough violently. I handed him the glass of water again, he started to calm down. "Rita, I know now."

"What?" I softly asked.

"I must accept that maybe I am going-" He started to say in between coughs.

"No. Don't say things like that. You are going to stay alive, I will keep you alive." I cut him off.

"Rita, I'm not going to make it." He said.

"Harry, you can't, I need you." I cried.

"Shh. Rita stop, don't say anything." He inhaled deeply. "I love you." With the strength he had left, he reached out his hand to place it around my cheek. He pulled me in and placed his lips on mine, I closed my eyes and let my heart take over my mind. His grip loosen and he exhaled. I opened my eyes and looked at him, he laid there unresponsive and cold. The few second that I sat completely still were of total shock. My fiance had left me, he was gone.

"Harry?" I leaned over him and shook his shoulders. "Harry?!" I shook him some more. "Harry! No, no, no! Don't leave me! Harry!" I started to whimper.

"Harry! No! No! No- ooo!" I burst into tears as I leaned on his chest. "No!"

* * *

Final Version:

Hook:

After the Trident Stone was destroyed, life was expected to carry on peacefully, but unexpected turns will get in the way.

(Strong language and mature content.)

Disclaimer: Rita and Dr. Mitch Ross are shipped extensively.

* * *

Chapter 1

 _Click, click, click._ The sounds of my heels are music to my ears each day when I walk through these halls. My job has become quite uneventful since I've learned to avoid water fairly well. Holding stacks of binders has become too easy for me as well as keeping order of the teachers and students. But now that my tedious routine is interrupted, I have something to look forward to after the almost endless-feeling week. Mitch is taking me on a date for our first year anniversary of meeting each other. I still hate that I can't remember anything after idiotically laughing for no reason in front of him. He actually doesn't know about my secret… yet and has no idea why I was acting that way. It still is a complete struggle to keep him distant yet so close. I want him to know about who I truly am but I'm afraid of how he will react. I can't predict if he will send me to the marine biology institute or let me be in peace. I have a strong feeling that he'll accept anything we go through. I've decided to tell him when the time is right, I just need to know when it's time.

My mind wanders mostly when I'm walking to meetings, the direction to the conference room has just become muscle memory. On my right, I walked by a glass case with sports trophies and slowed down just enough to glance at my hair and outfit. I inspected quickly, nodded, and proceeded to step through the door on the left at the end of the hall. I wasn't at all surprised to see that I was the first one to arrive. I shut the door behind me and sat down at the front of the rectangular table. I opened my binder and scribbled some notes for my ideas I wanted to present. I looked up at the clock bolted to the wall and watched the minute hand tick by. I started to get anxious for the other teachers to walk in so I scouted the room for something to do. A water jug caught my eye, I smirked and reached out my hand. With a small flick of my wrist, the jug started to rattle until it spewed a fountain of water towards me. I didn't plan for it to jump at me but just twist around for my mear entertainment. I instinctively ducked under the table as the water hit the wall. The water streamed down in drops to only be absorbed by the carpet floor. Just as I looked up, Mr. Goldt, Mrs. Penatory, and Miss Lively walked in as they were chatting.

"Ms. Santos, why are you on the floor?" Mr. Goldt asked. I frantically looked for an excuse.

"Um… I was looking for my… pen, I dropped it." I searched for something on the floor, but I failed. I stood up and nervously smiled at them. "I'll just use a different one."

They hesitated but sat down at the table afterwards.

"So, Ms. Santos, how are you?" Miss Sarah Lively cheerfully asked. I sat down and straightened out my neutral-colored skirt.

"I'm doing fine, and you?" I responded.

"We were just discussing if we could ever celebrate your birthday in the teacher's lounge." She looked over at the two. "Unfortunately, you never told us when it was. If you don't mind, when is it?"

I wasn't thinking and blurted out, "On the full third moon." My eyes widened. That was a mistake, humans don't count by moons. I haven't ever thought to search up when that was. I only knew that four hundred sixty nine full moons had gone by.

"Oh, I didn't know you counted by moons, what a very unique thing. When exactly is that?"

I stopped and thought, "I don't actually know." I said, I dropped my head down and stared at the floor for a moment.

"Alright then… so Nicole," Sarah shifted her head towards Mrs. Penatory. "Should we begin discussing our plans for our teaching methods?" I looked back up as they chatted a bit more. I tuned out of the conversation and observed the mannerisms that they constantly showed. Richard Goldt always reached for the side of his head to scratch it, Nicole licked her chapped lips continuously, and Sarah's finger twitched rhythmically on the table. I assumed she was unintentionally tapping her fingers to a song in her mind. As I watched them talk, the minutes flew by without my acknowledgement, more teachers started to arrive. The staff were beginning to collaborate or chat about students. I decided to speak, I stood up from my chair.

"Good afternoon, staff." I paused and dropped my head slightly. "I apparently have some very troubling news, the school district is experiencing many funding problems for our schools." The spirit in the room dropped, I pursed my lips. "The most I can cut from our system is some electives, although by staff vote." I said.

"Let's begin then." Mrs. Reed said as I sat back down. For each department at least one elective was voted out. It was hard to know communities were ready to fall apart due to bankruptcy and teachers about to lose their jobs. Each time someone rose their hand, I shook my head. After writing down each voted electives, I stood up.

"It is a major disappointment to watch enjoyable electives disappear, but the district is coming to a confirmed decision at the end of the semester." I sighed. "If I have any notable information, I will inform you all." I nodded, picked up my papers, and tapped them on the table into a neat stack. Everyone took that as an ending signal and began to pack up. I opened the door for the staff and waited until they left, afterwards I followed behind. I quickly went to my office in the other block to collect my bag and lock the door. As I was leaving the school, I passed through the halls where the detention center was, I could hear voices coming from the room.

"Oh my god, Ms. Santos is really bitchy, I think she picks on me just because I fought Diana. The only reason I socked her was 'cause she called me a slut." A voice rang out from the room, it sounded familiar like the girl that I sent to detention for swearing at a staff member, Nevaeh Williams.

"I heard she's a robot, she's emotionless. I don't think she has feelings." A boy added. I heavily sighed, although I promised myself not to let any comments affect me, it was very hard not to reflect on them. I saw five students, sitting on the desks or turned-around chairs. They were laughing until they saw me walk by. I looked straight forward and avoided their stares. I was only going to focus on getting home.

I remember Harry taking me on the freeway for the first time, I was so frightened that we were going to die. I understand that it's funny now as I reflect on it more than it was when I was actually there. Holding on to his arm as tightly as I could was all I could remember, my eyes were red and sore from trying to close them. I never saw the road until we got to the wildlife sanctuary in Currumbin. When he brought me inside the building, I saw animals that the pod have probably never imagined in their lives. I would have gone to the pod and told everyone about the new animals I learned about. I never got the chance to tell anyone until it was too late after they banished me.

"Asshole! You cut me off!" I yelled, I was about to go until a woman cut me off. I had to wait for the light to turn green again. I wanted to break her car down, but the more I thought about doing it the more I lifted my hand and twisted it. The woman's car started to slow down, it took me a moment to realize that this wasn't right. I lowered my hand as the woman sped away, I usually don't act in anger. I'm mostly patient but this time I felt something wasn't holding me back, something was missing. I shrugged off my suspicions and continued to drive.

I turned on to my street and pulled up to the hill on which I lived. I walked up the steep incline, although supported with stairs, and to the gate that was all too familiar. The door was the last obstacle to finishing the trip home, I sighed at the knowledge of Harry's hard work put into the building of this 'castle.' Harry bought the lot when we were dating, I didn't know that he did until he brought me to see the place when it was half complete. By the time we were engaged, the house was already finished. When he passed away, the house was handed over to me, his family didn't know what to do with it when it's four hours away from them.

I opened the door and ascended up the stairs. I threw my bag onto the kitchen island and slipped off my heels. I looked at the clock on the wall, I had about an hour to get ready for Mitch when he arrived at seven. I stood still for a minute to think and in an instant I went to my bedroom. To my right was my walk-in closet, I turned on the light to expose all my clothes and a extravagantly decorated, wooden chest with gold markings. I slowly approached it and opened it, dropping dust behind it as well as revealing my old collection of dresses. I pulled out dozens of beautiful sparkling gowns, but a dark red dress caught my eye, I held it up in front of me and studied how elegant it looked. I folded the other dress and placed them back in the chest. I found my almost-ancient vanity in the corner and I placed the dress on the back of the seat. After I sat down, I decided that it was the perfect time to open the box of makeup that I stored in its drawer. I lifted the lid and lightly brushed on some gold eyeshadow. I put on a light red color of lipstick and closed the box. I stood up from the chair and put on the dress. I found a pair of black heels under a few coats and a black handbag with shells sewn into the fabric.

The half empty bottle of lily oil perfume was one of the last finishing touches. I slipped on the shoes and gracefully walked out of the bathroom, I hadn't ever worn the shoes in my life. I bought them while in mind that I would wear them on Harry and I's honeymoon in Italy; apparently, I never did. I passed by the mirror pressed up against the wall adjacent to my bed. I stood in front of it, shifting my body to the side, making sure every inch from top to bottom was okay. I found my purse lying on the bed, I transferred only the necessary things I needed into the small handbag. I smiled with a nod, walked into the hallway only to see Mimmi and Sirena set down some shopping bags on my kitchen counter.

"Oh. Hi, Rita!" Sirena gleefully said. I approached the two and smiled. Mimmi sat down on one of the stool.

"Rita, you look great." Mimmi looked me up and down.

"Thank you… So what did you girls do today?" I asked, they faced each other for a moment. Mimmi nodded at Sirena, hinting her to speak.

"We went to the pod, Aquata just became a mermaid school teacher and Ondina is the assistant." She giggled. "We got the impression she didn't really enjoy it." Mimmi adjusted on the seat and faced me.

"We also went shopping since I got paid on Wednesday." Mimmi smiled.

"Oh yeah!" Sirena turned around and pulled out a floral patterned dress from a pink bag. She held it against her body to show me.

"It's lovely, I know you always find the most wonderful outfits." I said to her.

"Thanks." She grinned from ear to ear, just as I always found pleasure in her bright smiles. "Anyway, Rita why are you so dress up? What kind of date are you going on with Dr. Ross?"

"Oh, Mitch… it's our one year anniversary of being boyfriend and girlfriend." I paused. "Although, strangely I have no clue where he's taking me for dinner, I must have forgotten where he said it was going to be." I pursed my lips, Mimmi tilted her head in response. As I opened my mouth to speak, the doorbell rang. "Oh, that'll be him!" I grinned. I made my way down two steps before I turned around. "Try not to get into trouble, but if you do, call me." They nodded. "Alright, be safe." I descended down the rest of the stairs and opened the door.

"Hello, beautiful." Mitch said, he kissed me on the cheek. As he leaned over, I heard a crunching of tissue paper. "What's that?" I asked. He stood upright and pulled a gift bag from behind his back.

"Here," He handed me the gift with a smile, I reached inside and felt a cold shape. I pulled it out with one hand.

"Oh. Um, it's a...mermaid." I nervously chuckled as I held the small, blue, glass mermaid sculpture in my hands.

"Is it okay? If you don't like it, I can always get you something else." He asked with concern.

"No! No, it's lovely. Thank you." I reached to kiss him on the cheek. "I'll put it on the kitchen table." I rushed back up the stairs and placed the bag and gift on the kitchen counter. Mimmi and Sirena, still in the same place, exchanged whispers. I went back to Mitch and looked up at him.

"I have a plan for where we're going for dinner." He grinned.

"So I'm not forgetful after all, I thought I'd forgotten what you said." I laughed.

"Shall we go?" He asked followed by him reaching out his arm. With the response of my hand curling around his bicep, I heard a rhythm of footsteps from the top of the stairs. I looked up and saw Mimmi and Sirena wave. "Bye, girls."

We walked down the hill to his parked car. We got in his car and drove to down the road as the sunset brushed against the world, giving everything an orange tint. I laid my head on the side of the window and felt the vibrations of the car engine. I felt the warm sun touch my face as if it kissed me goodbye.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Hi, I'm back, I've been hovering above you in spirit, giggling waiting for your reaction to every little nasty, uncomfortable detail. Nah, but I just want to ramble now about how I've spent so much of my time, in which I could have been doing something with my life, just typing and deleting and acting out BUT MOSTLY deleting. (I put acting out, didn't I? crap.) So where do I start, oh yeah. I'll just put all the shitty plots that have come out of the glop in my skull down below. Most of these shitty ideas come from holding in farts. Don't hold in your farts, kids, 'cause that's how stupid people are born! (Oh my fucking god, that was a horrible joke. I probably offended so many people just now.) ANywAy…

Copy and Paste.

WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK PLOTS

Rita and Mitch start off the story with the first date which is rita and mitch have to drive to his house after the reservations for the restaurant get messed up, rita takes off her nice coat and mitch cooks a nice salmon dinner and they sit at the small table, Mitch also has a small apartment just because he had to move there because of the marine park job which he will explain to ritabecause YOU CAN NOT HAVE A SMALL APARTMENT IF YOU ARE RICH AF and mitch smiles and asks if she wants to play a game she's like WTF OK and mitch explains, "answer small funny question and relate stories to them" he starts asking about her childhood, "what was the funniest thing you ever did to a friend when you were a kid?" Rita thinks about it for a while and comes up with "I remember swimming on the reef with my friend and I picked up a crab and it pinch her... foot. We surfaced and I started laughing and she was splashing me. I remember it like it was yesterday." Mitch smiles as rita giggles. Rita then asks Mitch about what he did near the ocean as a kid. Mitch tells her that he would go to the beach with his parents and he would pick up small sea snails, shells, and crabs and take them home to study them. Rita frowns and doesn't like how he took them home, they belong in the wild. Mitch looks at rita and senses that he said something wrong. Rita asks if her ever put them back, Mitch says no. Rita is like, "ok then." Mitch then asks why she never goes near the water anymore and that she always avoids when he asks her about going to the beach and she is like, "I just don't like the water, I'll go on the sand just not in the water, I was in an accident, I got swept out one day and it scared me so I've been afraid ever since." Mitch is concerned and rita explains to the reader that she just uses that excuse for everything. "Tell you what… we'll go to the beach this weekend near your house and we'll face the waves together." Rita freaks and is like, "mitch another time ok?" He agrees, he asks if they want to watch a movie, he says he tiramisu in the fridge, he takes it out and rita is like ok, she tries it she likes it and she sits on his couch and mitch comes with the plate of cake and she asks what they're going to watch , then OH OH OH THERE'S ONE PARAGRAPH WHERE IT"S IN HIS PERSPECTIVE! He says that he might put on a scary movie because he read that the girl is going to cuddle up next to you because they are scared. But when he shows her the movie she's all like WTF IS THAT? and he's like okaaaaayyyyy…. she's never heard of this so um wtf do i do? So he picks out a romance movie from the states, AGE OF ADALINE cause you know stuff, it just came out on freaking dvd. and Rita likes the movie and connects with it,can't tell a secret… awwwww. and then she listens to quotes from the movie and you get a sense about what it is. Rita starts to tear up in the car chase scene where adaline is crying and running away because she's exposed and Mitch asks why rita is cry and rita says she isn't crying and Mitch wraps his arms around her. They cuddle closer AWWWW and after the movie they're sitting on the couch. Mitch looks at rita and they gaze into each other's eyes, they're looking up and down at each other because rita is like cuddled up next to him rita says, "Mitch if I ever needed you to trust me, would you?" or something romantic like that. "Now why would you say something like that? I trust you already, anything you say, I put faith into. I already trust you with my love, is there anymore to ask?" AWWW something like that. THAT QUOTE IS F-ING BEAUTIFUL ANyway Mitch and rita kiss and then it become a long kiss THEN IT BECOMES MIMMI AND CHRIS TYPEKISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGG and then rita's LOVE POTION is activated. (NEED TO DELETE ENTIRE BEDROOM SCENE TO ON THE F-ING FLOOR/COUCH. EVIL LAUGH* BAHHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA) Scene cuts to morning, on the floor the small couch throw on the floor and Mitch sleeping next to her. Oh…..(rita's reaction) SHIT. SHe tries to get up and puts her hand on the coffee table but sticks her hand in cake from last night and she \'s like "oh crap." and she turns into a mermaid and she falls back onto the ground on her face. ABHAAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAAHAA and like mitch hears the thud and wakes up and turns around but rita is in her invisibility and hides. "Rita?" MItch stands up as he puts on his clothes. And rita is like EWWWW WTF. And turns her head in the opposite direction. Rita tries to scoot away but then MItch walks and trips over her. ABHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAH and Rita yelps, "OWW!" And mitch falls on his face. and freaks out cause no one is there and he turns around and rita is like trying to scoot away still. MItch is like, "RITA?! WHERE TF ARE YOU?!" And she still tries to scoot away until mitch waves his hand in the spot where he tripped and smacks Rita in the head pounding her head into the floor. He hand is knocked out of her invisibility as her nose starts to bleed from getting knocked into the floor. BHAahbahAAHAHAAHAHAHHA and Rita is like, "OOOOWWW!" And holding her nose. "WTF WAS ThAT FOR?!" out of anger. And Mitch is just, "WTF ARE YOU?! OMG HOLY SHIT!" and rita freaks out and tries to hide again but her head hurts from the nose bleed. So she just lays there and she's like, "mitch remember that trust I asked about, well here's where you can keep your word." And mitch freaks out and is like, "YOU LIED TO ME HOW CAN I TRUST YOU NOW!" and rita just weakly looks up at him, "Mitch, just…. I'll explain."

Main points Rita and Mitch Ross become a mother and father unexpectedlyMimmi and Cam get together but Chris returns and Cam and him start fightingNixie and Lyla return and they die in a car crash

Mitch and Rita's story: Rita and Mitch are going to have their one year anniversary at a fancy restaurant in the city, the restaurant has trouble and can't get them a table for like two hours, they leave and go to Mitch's apartment, they have a nice dinner and Mitch offers her some wine, Rita refuses Mitch insists (alcohol makes a mermaid crazy) She wakes up in his bed "bare" while he is still sleeping, she sorta pets his hair like Poseidon is there but she feels his face, she freaks out and paces across the room, she sees her clothes on the floor and she goes into the bathroom. Mitch wakes up and calls to Rita, "What are you doing?" "Wishing I could drown myself, but I can't." Mitch walks into the bathroom and finds Rita eyes closed in the water, she was in her tail, she looked like she wasn't breathing, she turned her head towards him and opened her eyes slowly to see Mitch jump. He starts to freak out and ask her like a million questions. She leans her head against the back of the wall. "Mitch what did we do last night?" (Last verse)

Rita's story: She starts to get small sharp pains in her stomach and head during meetings and stuff. She shrugs them off for about half a month, (potion thing hasn't been resolved, still ages as if a regular 32 year old) she then gets a large pain in her side and runs to the bathroom only to throw up in the toilet bowl. She unbuttons her shirt and only exposes her white bra. She gets up, has a small panic about if she's pregnant, because she has heard of it but never thought that a mermaid could ever get pregnant and she starts to doubt it. She gets herself fixed backup and doesn't tell Mitch or anybody about it and goes to the drugstore in a thin coat with a hood. She sneaks into the aisle with pregnancy tests and pulls one off of the shelf. A staff member walks by and sees a glimpse of Rita's face. Rita starts to rush a little, pick up her pace, and pay for it and try to get out of there as fast as she could. Rita hopes that the staff member saw nothing.

AUTHOR'S NOTE (RANT) CONTINUATION

Finally... I think I've finished putting all the parts together. It's 4am and I'm playing really relaxing songs so I don't lose my sanity to the silence of night. I'm feeling quite awake for some crappy reason but whatever. Oh, I forgot to mention, this is where I explain what was going on in my head while writing this disturbing story. Where do I start…

1: A year or so after Season 2 came out, (I was obsessed with Rita when Season 1 came out, so it's been since I can remember) I started to imagine Rita and Dr. Ross going on a date. After that it turned into, NAH I'M KIDDING AS FUCK! After watching "Meeting Rita" in Season 1, I always imagined Harry and Rita's damn kid. HAHAHAHH. I'm not those people who gradually works their way from idea to idea, I jump straight into VERY odd things. Don't get me started on Miss Raine from Dance Academy. Just don't. EVER. It will never end. So I've had pregnant Rita in the back of my mind since Season 1. I just needed someone NOT DEAD to be the father. (:Y) SOOO that's when Jonathan M. Shiff decides to throw a random episode in there where Rita gets one shot at a love life with this handsome man. In Season 3, SPOILERS AHEAD, Jon just decides to never touch the subject again and that pisses me off BIG TIME. Instead at a shot at love life, Jon makes Rita QUIT HER DAMN PRINCIPAL JOB and be a free FISH HOBO. Also in addition to that, she takes a cup of tea on accident and turns into a FREAKIN' ELDERLY AMNESIA-OTIC (that's not even a word, that's how pissed I am) BOZO! #&E(! $&! ! Yeah, Dr. Ross didn't even see Rita ever in the new season. I cried, I was so ready for this season, but they left so many damn questions. NOT JUST with the plot but WITH MY SHIP, MY BEAUTIFUL SHIP! Fuck it, I'm just going to get myself a life now.

2: OK HOLY SHIT. So Before this entire one pager used to only be two versions, I just found my computer's trash and I found the very first copy that I transferred over to Quotev, the first fanfic website I knew. When I was on Quotev, I thought lots of people were on it, hahaha, I was so naive. That website gets NOBODY. So I was such a newbie to writing stuff and stories, I didn't know how to just think like Rita, I only saw Rita as a character, I didn't know how to be absolutely obsessed with Rita and Kerith, I know how to step into her shoes and act like her. I treat her and her character so differently now. So the first version you see was what I produced from seven nights of winter break. OMG, a post-panic of laying all over Mitch was going to have a hangover, I thankfully scrapped the idea.

3: Version 2, I was planning to make Rita younger with a potion, but it was too much considering there was already an episode of her acting young. I can't just recycle that same potion, the girls would obviously not even try to touch the same ingredients that they used for that lotion. Chapter 2 was just full of random crap just to fill up the time gap of getting to third period. There was no significance to wasting your time with Rita messing with teenagers and being having bitchy Trumble be basically BITCHY to Rita. Chapter 3… yeah. This was suppose to get Rita to try to fix the potion, make it worse and create another spell, the love potion. I don't know why I needed another potion for her, I didn't know if 44 year olds could still get laid. (HAHAHA my innocent mind, where did it go….) That would make Rita go "googoo?" over Mitch and eventually make their children. (Oh my god, seeeee, I put too much effort into this shit, you better not put any dumb crap in my comments…) I gave her super hearing, so I could write a scene where she hazily walks out of a classroom. I'M SO sorry I wasted everyone's time with unnecessary events that make no difference to the plot. OH SHIT, it's 5am. Um… long story short, I had to rewrite a lot of snippets and most of the time I could have used writing, I used editing and making each snippet perfect. TOTAL WASTE OF TIME. Oh, with the birth scene confusion, I wrote the post labor scene after listening (don't ask) to my teacher talk about how she went through 36 hours of labor (uncommon cases) before having her son so I had to rethink making Rita have her kids in an hour. I was going to carry the worsening of contractions over the course of a day, eventually having her children in the early hours of the morning. Evie and Zac were going to show up through the Grotto that afternoon to say hi and congrats.

4: OH OH OH! I tried to write book 2 before I barely started writing book 1. Lyla was going to die and fuck, here's the damn plot line.

Chris and Cam start fighting for the hand of Mimmi. Cam starts fighting Chris but then Lyla and Nixie come back, they are in the car with Rita and Sirena. Going to dinner and they get in a side collision. Lyla dies 13 hours after from bleeding out. Nixie gets hurt badly, Sirena is ok but bruised and helps de mermaids away from the car crash scene and helps them go back to Rita's house. Zac, Cam, David come after Sirena calls them to come help on Rita's phone, Rita is still awake but barely and is going to fall asleep and she hears Sirena on phone whimpering and crying. RIta is flung upside down while Lyla is dying, and Nixie is passed out. Rita is out on the floor. She almost passes out but she hears the boys and they pick her up and sit her in a different car. She sees lyla and nixie in the back of the car and zac is driving and she passes out. Sirena, Cam, and David are going to solve the car accident problem and lie and Sirena was in the front, Cam and David were in the back and they were fine.

Ok, I'm so sorry this had to come to you in such a crazy one pager, I mean, it wasn't that bad, confusing but you see my idea. I just wish that everything I see in my head could just turn into words or a little movie outside of my skull. I can't just get Kerith Atkinson and Paul Bishop to reenact the crap going on in my brain, it would be very awkward. VERY. Alright, I love you all.

Don't be tainted like I am, kids (even though I'm probably like the same age) FIND YOURSELF A LIFE, KIDS!

Peace,

MB


End file.
